Homily at Holy Spirit Catholic Community, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B), January 28, 2018, Beverly Bingle RCWP

Scholars tell us that today’s gospel
   reflects the four elements of a typical exorcism
   as they’re usually described in ancient writings.
First, the demon recognizes the exorcist and struggles;
   then the exorcist orders the demon to leave;
   then the demon leaves but makes a scene as it goes;
   and finally the bystanders react to the feat.
So this evil spirit sent the man in Capernaum into convulsions—
   like people who get louder and louder
   as they argue their view is right and yours is not.
We know a lot of colloquial phrases to describe them:
   they get a burr under their saddle,
   they’re frothing at the mouth.
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We hear those voices in our world today,
   and some of them are really demonic.
We wonder what possesses a person to twist the truth,
   then start ranting and raving
   when facts are brought up.
Some of the voices in our world are false prophets.
Forty years ago 918 people were murdered or committed suicide
   because of the madness
   of Jim Jones and the People’s Temple.
We see televangelists
   interested only in putting more money in their own pockets
   while claiming to work for worthy causes.
We hear street corner preachers
   screaming of the end times
   and the fiery wrath of an angry God.
We’ve seen demons in many different forms:
   the holocaust, ISIS, Hiroshima and Nagasaki,
   ethnic cleansing, Larry Nassar.
__________________________________________
Some things have changed since Jesus’ time.
Unlike many first-century folks
   and Jim Jones in our time,
   most of us don’t live in anxious fear
   that the end of the world is imminent.
Well, maybe the Hawaiians do, after last week.
But Paul’s lesson still applies:
   when we focus on the things of God,
   everything else falls into the right place.
For the most part, we don’t call it a demonic possession
   when we see someone ranting and raving.
Depending on what the person is ranting and raving about,
   we may see it as mental illness.
Or sometimes these days, we call it politics.
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It’s not quite the same as when Jesus walked the earth—
   the people of his time had a different frame of reference.
They didn’t have the kind of power over their lives that we do.
For one thing, they didn’t hold the healing power that we do.
In spite of our power, sometimes we act
   like the people in today’s Deuteronomy reading,
   afraid we will get hurt or killed if we speak up and reach out,
   so we call on the Moses types to tell us what to do.
We call the fire department when we see a burning building.
We call the police if we see people waving guns at each other.
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Sometimes you can do more than call the police or the ambulance.
You have healing power over demons every day of your life.
You know the Heimlich Maneuver.
You know CPR.
And you know how to use prophetic power
   the same way as the major prophets of our lifetime,
   like Martin Luther King, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin,
   Gustavo Gutierrez, Pope John XXIII.
You reach out with a healing touch, like Mother Teresa.
You protest war through nonviolence, like Mahatma Gandhi.
You speak out to protect the environment, like Rachel Carson.
You help the poor and marginalized, like Dorothy Day.
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Sometimes it’s as simple as just being there.
As Fr. Tony Gallagher is wont to say,
   the 8th sacrament is showing up.
Going to the funeral.
Showing up at the birthday party.
Holding a sign at a street corner demonstration.
Sending a postcard from your vacation spot.
Volunteering at a soup kitchen.
Visiting your aunt in the nursing home.
Planting a tree.
Phoning a friend to see how they’re doing with the flu.
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You do it automatically.
It’s part of your life, part of who you are.
Reaching out with a helping hand,
   thinking of others,
   saying things to comfort,
   speaking truth to power.
You heal people every day.
You give prophetic witness.
__________________________________________
And you teach.
You don’t hesitate to show a grandchild how to tie shoes,
   or to offer advice to a friend out of your own experience.
You share your knowledge and insights.
You read books and go to lectures.
You talk about politics and religion,
   about the common good,
   about climate disruption.
You look at the impact of today's actions on tomorrow's children.
You share your hopes and your moral values.
__________________________________________
You should be the breaking news on CNN.
You are a prophet, the healer, the teacher in our world today.
Where do you get the authority to do that?
Where does your confidence come from?
Our tradition names the source:
   it’s the Spirit of God in you.
Thanks be to God!

Public Domain

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Holy Spirit Catholic Community
Saturdays at 4:30 p.m./Sundays at 5:30 p.m.
at 3925 West Central Avenue
Toledo, OH 43606
(Chapel at Washington Church)

www.holyspirittoledo.org

Rev. Dr. Bev Bingle, Pastor
Mailing address:  3156 Doyle Street, Toledo, OH 43608-2006
419-727-1774