Think about how unnerving we Christians must seem to many nonbelievers. We don’t conform to many accepted rules of the world: might makes right, take what you can get, greed is good. We tend to be calm in the most harrowing of situations. In times of trouble – when others may lash out, raise a fist, or run away – our first instinct is usually to pray. We don’t tend to fear death; we may even look forward to it, as a chance to meet our Lord and God face to face.
As Catholics, we have the opportunity to be in the actual presence of God. We get to be completely and absolutely absolved of the sins we confess. Many miraculous, inexplicable events have been documented and researched, all attributed to our God. Viewed objectively through the eyes of an outsider, all of this is kind of scary! If we aren’t motivated by a desire for material goods or physical comforts, if we aren’t influenced by a fear of mortal death, if we don’t respond to amoral authority or mortal power, how does someone respond to that as a nonbeliever?
These thoughts came to me as I reflected on today’s Gospel reflection. Actually, that’s not quite right. Today’s Gospel reflection gives a version of the story of the healing of the Gadarene demoniacs. In it, Jesus drives out the demons possessing two victims into a herd of swine, which then drowned themselves in the sea. I was drawn to the final line: “Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.”
The townspeople begged Jesus to leave. I wondered, “Why is that?” But then I realized: We have four Gospels. They often build and interact with each other in surprising ways, illuminating each other and giving insight. (That’s a mini-reflection on its own, but the short form is: If you’re ever chewing on a bit of Sacred Scripture, a good reference Bible can point out parallels and interactions with other bits of Scripture.)
So, a similar tale of this story appears in the Gospel of Luke (8:26-39). There, the townspeople’s motivation is revealed: “The entire population of the region . . . asked Jesus to leave because they were seized with great fear.”
Now, the Bible doesn’t detail why those townspeople were filled with fear, but – as I noted at the beginning of the reflection – it’s actually fairly understandable. These townspeople may have just accepted the evil possessing the demoniacs as a fact of life, as something that couldn’t be fixed. Then this person – Jesus – comes along and upends their entire worldview: evil can be overcome, miracles are possible, and God is willing and able to take an active interest in your life. Forget the loss of the pigs (which probably also weighed on their minds); an incident that seems like it might have taken . . . what, a few minutes? . . . was enough to shatter their preconceived notions of how the world worked. That’s pretty scary!
This fear that the outside world often has of Christians (and especially Catholics) doesn’t mean we should change our outlook; the Truth is a powerful motivator. However, understanding this fear can help you in your interactions with those who don’t believe. If someone lashes out with an attack against your beliefs, resist the urge to retaliate with platitudes or dogma. If your faith is firm, then their words or scorn can’t have any effect on you, so why not try to listen to them? Perhaps you can share your own personal stories of what the faith has meant. If someone has misconceptions, perhaps ask them, “Where did you learn that?” or “Why does that seem so?” Then you may have an opportunity to share your own story.
If you truly live the faith, then there will be “townspeople” in your life who will be “seized with great fear.” Let love guide your actions and response, and understand that God’s gift of salvation is meant to be offered to all . . . not half-heartedly, but with earnestness and compassion. God’s love is greater than any human fear, and responding to that fear with love may help to bring more souls to the Light.
Today’s readings: Gn 21:5,8-20A; Ps 34:7-8,10-11,12-13; Mt 8:28-34
