The Antidote to Terror: ruminations of a retired priest
Putting my faith in Something More than I am, terror’s tentacles loose their grip and I become more than I am.
Recently I had a deeply disturbing conversation with a friend who described in graphic detail the “extreme and appalling violence and intimidation” used by the the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels. He distinguished their terrorist activity from ISIS only in terms of their motives. The Mexican cartels’ objective is profit, “generating hundreds of billions of dollars in drug money worldwide each year.” Bent on “forming their own governments,” ISIS uses terror to exert power and control over people. Both the cartels and ISIS deploy the cold-blooded trigger of terror to feed their insatiable lust for money or for power with no apparent end in sight.
Reeling amidst images of beastly brutality, my head and heart wrestle wondering, “Is there a way to turn the tide of terror?”
From a spiritual perspective the cartels and ISIS are driven by the inordinate desire for whatever they think will expand their security, safety, esteem, power or control. (Be sure not to overlook the word ‘inordinate’ because none of the five desires listed is bad when it is well ordered.) The trouble is, putting their faith in themselves to scare up security, safety, esteem, power or control these terrorizing tactics are doomed to failure because the terrorists can never stash enough to feel secure.
In my business this is called, “missing the mark,” or more traditionally, “sin.” For as long as we humans put our faith in fear driven strategies to stockpile security, safety, esteem, power or control we will come up short. But when we turn around (repent) and put our faith in Something More than our futile programs for happiness, terror’s tentacles loose their grip.
The paradox is this. Until we humans take the evolutionary leap of consciousness to admit we cannot make ourselves secure, safe, valued, empowered or in control we will continue to live in fear and be subject to the reign of terrorism. But when we turn around and put our faith in Something More than we are, terror looses its grip.
Choosing to put my faith in relationship with Something More than I am, I become more than I am. On a good day (when I remember) the beneficence of Something More pours to and through me and I experience security, safety, esteem, power and control, in other words, I am blessed to be a blessing.
Just in case you are thinking, “This is crazy new age babble,” this teaching rises from the ancient wisdom tale in which YHWH, the transcendent God of Israel, calls Abram, the first Jew and father of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, to put his faith in a mysterious inner voice (Something More) instructing Abram to take his family and depart for an undetermined destination where he will be a blessing to all people. The prospect is beyond outrageous and utterly terrifying.
Abram is part of a culture that finds their identity in relation to the land on which they lived and the generations from whom they descend. They worship handcrafted idols and local deities meant to provide security for every aspect of their lives. To pull up stake and turn away to follow his inner directive was downright terrifying. (See Genesis 12:1–4a below) How can Abram do this?
The Midrash Rabbah, the oldest Torah commentary in existence, grapples with Abram’s story, wrestles with its contradictions and fills in missing details to extract new and relevant meaning. So what do the rabbis have to say about Abram? And what does that have to do with us and terror?
Abram’s family business was the making of carved idols. Today they might look like fame, fortune, power or identity. Observing his father, grandfather and other relatives carve these local deities, even as a child Abram knows they cannot speak and are powerless. Today we ask, “Can we see through the hollow promises that our contemporary idols of fame, fortune, power or identity will make us feel secure, safe, valued, empowered or in control?”
Knowing hand crafted gods have no power Abram is willing to risk turning away and offending local deities and his neighbors. Today we ask, “Are we willing to turn away from the purveyors of empty promises and terrorizing threats to put our faith in the transcendent promises of God?”
Abram’s story represents a remarkable moment in the evolution of human consciousness. This is the moment we make the pivotal turn away from living in fear of offending local deities, civil (and uncivil) authorities, our neighbors, our families and even terrorists, to live by faith in relationship with “Something More.” Abram makes this turn when he chooses to put his faith in the inscrutable invitation to walk away from the status quo and experience Something More that YHWY promises,” I will bless you… so that you will be a blessing.”
Which begs the question, What is faith? Faith is choosing to live in accord with something more than reason can measure. In Paul’s letter to the Hebrews we read, ”Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. (Hebrews 11: 1) Faith is what connects us to “Something More.” Faith enables us to take risks because we stake our lives on something greater than our selves, making ourselves available to be blessed and be a blessing.
Listening to the transcendent voice, “Go from your country your kindred and father’s house to a land that I will show you… and I will bless you so that you will be a blessing to all the families of the earth,” we understand this is a Divine invitation to evolve our faith and transform our selves. Rather than putting faith in our impotent idols of fame, fortune, power or identity, instead of striving to sure up our comfortable ruts while hoping against hope to attain security, safety, esteem, power or control, it is time to turn around; time accept the invitation to put our faith in “Something More.”
This I believe is the way to turn the tide of terror. Terrorists deploy “extreme and appalling violence and intimidation” because they thrive on fear. In the absence of fear terror holds no sway. Therefore the antidote to terror is choosing to live by faith, to accept the outrageous invitation to be blessed and be a blessing.
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Genesis 12:1–4a The Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him.
