A Trap has been Set

Around every corner a trap has been set for us by the evil one. It isn’t always big and scary, but it is deadly. It is the trap of our ego, and we are the ones who bait it every day. As soon as we awake in the morning, we begin to think about how we can get ahead, or how we can be honored by others. We are in a constant state of falling trap to our ego, and anger toward our brothers and sisters is the easiest bait.

Brethren, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new commandment, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness still. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and in it there is no cause for stumbling. But he who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If any one loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 1st John 2.7-17

As we hear in today’s reading from the 1st Epistle of St John, the same author of the Gospel of John, the oldest commandment we have is to love our neighbor. It is just not possible to hate anyone if we love God, and yet every day we devour our brothers and sisters through anger and hatred, not because they are sinners, but because the trap of our ego captures us.

Do you find yourself on the road yelling at the drivers around you because ‘they don’t know how to drive’? Do you find yourself jumping to a state of rage every time someone tells you something you don’t want to hear? Are you constantly posting nasty ‘corrections’ on social media because you know better about every situation, even if you are reading comments by complete strangers? These behaviors are just a few examples of how we bait our ego trap every day, and they are examples of how we live in darkness.

How do we know the driver who cuts us off isn’t heading into an emergency? How do we know the social media posts are not someone just trying to argue about politics? How do we know anything about anyone unless they share their story with us so that we may understand? We are blinded by our ego, and we must stop. We don’t always know all the answers, nor will we always know the only solution to a problem. It requires love to accept that others might be just as knowledgeable, or more, than we are about a particular subject.

Sometimes our rage isn’t about knowing the answer at all, but just about demanding that we get our way. Just because we are ‘grown ups’ doesn’t mean we stop acting like infants demanding attention. It is easy to find ourselves having tantrums just because we don’t hear what we want to hear, and it must stop. We have to stop living in darkness, and come into the Light of Christ.

This week the Church has been reminding us of the need for humility if we want to be accepted by Christ. Remember…..it was the tax collector who returned home justified in the Gospel this past Sunday. He wasn’t justified because he was sinless, but because he knew he was a sinner. When we allow our ego to take over and express rage and anger and hatred toward our brothers and sisters, we are no better than the Pharisee who went home condemned.

Look out for the trap set by the evil one today. Look out for the bait your ego is about the devour today. Look out for the darkness. Instead of anger and hatred, turn to humility and love, “because your sins are forgiven.” If God can forgive your sins, you can surely look past the sins of your brothers and sisters. Keep telling yourself, “I don’t know all the answers. I don’t have the only solutions.” Then, allow yourself the blessing to experience God’s grace in your relationships with others.