Don’t Worry; Be Happy?????
Most people of a certain age recall the popular song many years by Jamaican singer, Bobby McFerrin, “Don’t Worry. Be Happy”. One of its great lines was “Landlord says your rent is late; it may be time to litigate. Don’t worry. Be happy!!” (Some politicians back then even tried to use the song in election campaigns. Bobby said no!)
The line came from a mantra proposed by an Islamic mystic, “Do the best you can; don’t worry; be happy; I am God.” Just about anybody would say that but for the grace of God, that it would be impossible to say those words and truly mean them.
Jesus asks us to do basically the same. As USA Catholics near Ash Wednesday, 2011AD, we hear His Words in today’s Sputnik Moment from Jesus’ Examination of Conscience (aka the Sermon on the Mount). Recall also the reminder that we have been hearing all these pre-Lenten Sundays. “Jesus does not ask the impossible.” “With God, all things are possible (even with you).”
Human persons are programmed in many different ways. First, Dr Eric Erickson spoke of basic childhood needs that remain with us throughout life. We are all under the sway (to a greater or lesser degree) of basic childhood needs, the basic needs for security, esteem and control (which can devolve into the three idols of Power, Prestige and Possessions). These basic drives are with us all our lives. What varies, with God’s Help, is our response to them. These impulses can control us. In Christ Jesus, we can control them. Another way in which human persons are driven is through how we respond to the call to transcendence that is basic to human living. 100 years, German psychologist, Rudolf Otto, identified to the human drive toward the Mysterium Tremendum et Fascinans (the Mystery, both awesome and fascinating), the intuition of Transcendence, on which each of us is dependent upon and yet different. (Christians call It the Holy Mystery, YHWH, God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Catholic theologians speak of the need for every mature human person to respond to these basic human needs. Lent will be the time for us to soul-search this year.
Modern theologians speak of two false gods in competition with YHWH, the God of Life, the God of Reality, the God beyond space and time, yet the God here and now, the God of Love, Incarnate in Christ Jesus. First we all worship at one time or another the demi-god Ego (Easing God out??). We make ourselves and our immediate needs and gratifications the center of our existence. We characterize life as “My Story”. It is about us. Sorry!!
Second we all worship at one time or another the demi-god Wego (We ease God out). Now, we take our group identities and the false security, esteem and control that they seem to maintain. Then, we worship our group, however, we define ourselves as the center of our existence (and everyone else’s too, if they were smart like us.)
The two gods, Ego and Wego, have many demi-gods or avatars in modern life. We can name at least four of them. Ego and Wego appear in modern versions of the god Mars, the god of dominance. Ego and Wego appear in modern versions of the god Baal, the god of tangible control. Ego and Wego appear in modern versions of the god Mammonas (mentioned today in the Gospel), the god of Bling. Ego and Wego appear in modern versions of the god Bacchus, (“If it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad!”)
We all practice both forms of idolatry (and their demi-gods) when we make something other than God the center and mainstay of our existence. Recall the first and summary Beatitude a few weeks back. “Blessed is that person who tries, with God’s Help, to acknowledge and behave that God is the Center of the their lives, for that person is moving in the right direction.” We all honestly know that it is easier said than done.
Jesus might rephrase the Islamic mantra adapted by Bobby McFerrin. “God’s Will be done; God lives in you; Tough times do come; Tough times do pass; All will be well; Jesus is Lord.” As the man said in the Gospel, “Lord, I believe. Help my lack of faith.”
Once again, Jesus urges us to trust Him and God the Father on this. We ask for His Help to practice the transforming initative, asking, at least, this one time to trust and acknowledge and behave that God is, indeed, the Center of my and our Existence. In, with and through Christ Jesus, we participate in the paradox of the God’s Paschal Mystery, from ascent to decent to transformation, certain both of gravity and God’s grace. 022711AD jfq
