Today I'll begin with a piece of yesterday's quote from Girard and then continue on with his point.
Girard notes: Once we realize that the power of Satan is dependent upon a lie, which will not remain effective unless it is firmly believed by all people, an untruth that is always mistaken for a sacred truth, everything else follows.
In order for it to remain credible, this untruth, this satanic lie must remain hidden. I must be protected from human curiosity. The founding murder is shrouded in darkness. This is the darkness of myth and of mythical origins. The violence at the heart of myth resembles the violence of the Passion - but the victim is always guilty. For Example: Oedipus (and others) become gods - but still are guilty of whatever they were guilty to start with. They become gods of violence, gods of the violent sacred.
The lie is one where violence rules and violence will be the way that order is maintain and disorder comes to an end. And yet, the Cross signals the beginning of the end of that lie. The only way for the world to disrupt the violence and end it is through the utter transparency of the Cross and Resurrection. Violence does not prevail and never can as long as there is a witness to the non-violence and innocence of Jesus that will not let evil and hatred and the father of lies rule. It only takes one light - one witness - one word of truthfulness, to dismantle and expose the way violence never brings peace - in fact it only brings more violence.
Connection: We may need to ask ourselves and discuss among the follower of Jesus the witness of rulers and people in positions of authority. What comes from their leadership - is it the ongoing presence of violence - is it another lie hiding another lie - is it the increase of victims at the hands of those given authority to rule? Then we must talk about our own lives and ask what it the witness that we bring into the world. Do we live within light - or remain in the midst of lies? I would say we do both (saint - sinner). But we do not end with that observation - which merely allows for violence to continue. We must be the encouragement to live outside the realm of the father of lies. We need to encourage one another to rise daily within the story of how the Cross defeats the powers that would separate us. That's called baptismal remembrance - no mere words - the actual victory over evil.
As you walk with us, O God, give us rest that we may not let the warring ways of the days at hand make us weary and forget whose Reign is really available to us in and through all times. Amen.
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