Hope in the Time of Corona

Narcissism is generally considered as a lack of empathy – people so centered in their “false self” or ego that there is little possibility of comprehending that we, not just as human beings but simply as LIVING beings, are in communion with ONE another.  There is nothing more potent to separate ourselves from one another than an inflated sense of our own importance.  The ego and its power over me and others has been a focus of reflection for me during the Covid-19 outbreak.  Admittedly naïve in hindsight, in March 2020 I prayed that Corona would be THE breaking point that would allow us as humanity to realize that we were not the center of God’s creation. I hoped that we would feel so connected to each other that the only reasonable forms of action would be those that promoted unity and compassion.  However, it seems to me that what actually “held” us together during the pandemic was not love or a comprehension of our relatedness, but rather, fear.   And fear strengthens our ego identity – thus no surprise that as humanity we ended the lockdown with war….

“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor,” is Jesus’ call to awakening in this week’s Gospel.  Or in other words, observe your tendency to seek your own comfort, placing yourself first.  In my experience, humility is not about falsely claiming to be least, but silently aligning with our TRUE Self which comprehends that we are already ONE and thus are called forth to help those who least experience this communion, to experience it.  Yet the tendency, like Herod and his entourage in today’s reading, is to be so self-centered (and we religious people, like the Pharisees, might be at greater risk) that we turn to violence to remain in our comfort zone.  And by violence, I mean anything that we do to separate ourselves.  We “behead” others to avoid observing the dividing thoughts or judgements that we are constantly making in our heads.  The ego lives in the mind.  How can I silence my thoughts today long enough to let go of my need to be first and connect with the LIFE of God manifesting in others?  Can I observe myself during the week and unmask the many ways I seek to “behead” others to protect what I selfishly desire?  There is no greater love than laying our own ego aside so that other’s might live.

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