Monday in the First Week of Easter
The snares and traps of the devil are in places we can't even fathom.
Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake. Some to everlasting life, others to reproach and everlasting disgrace. But those with insight shall shine brightly like the splendour of the firmament, and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever.
Daniel 12:2-3
Evil is hard at work in this world. For proof one needs look no further than the systematic attempt to dismantle Christianity and convert people to the Religion of Self.
When we make a conscious decision to follow Christ, our path is oft blocked by obstacles. While we soften our hearts to take comfort in Christ, we accept a measure of discomfort in our worldly lives.
Our refusal to participate in things of the world creates a division between us and “them.” We deprive ourselves of things which turn our gaze from The Lord, and we are ridiculed for this.
People often do not understand why we wish to be apart from the world.
And why would they?
The world looks pretty darn neat.
It’s full of every creature comfort one can possibly imagine. We live in a world where every whim, every desire, can be easily realised. Every thirst can be quenched — at least temporarily.
But, as Jesus said to the woman at the well,
“Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)
Those of us who tire of unquenchable thirst seek the living water.
God, in his enduring love and mercy, offers it to us.
In exchange for this living water, in exchange for satiating our thirst once and for all, we must accept that we will encounter those who hate us and think we lack guile. We accept we will encounter people who wish us harm.
This is the way it has been since the beginning of Christianity.
The last four years has caused me much consternation. The Evil One is doing everything he can to turn people away from The Lord. I cannot remember bearing witness to a more concerted effort to convert Christians to the Religion of Self. The Evil One is not even hiding his efforts anymore. Anybody who pays attention can see what is going on.
We have more things to keep us in this world than in all human history. We have more temptations than ever before. Our egos are hungry and readily fed by the Evil One the moment we open our mouths like innocent baby birds.
Our souls thirst for the living water, yet our egos hunger for validation from the masses, from the elite, from the corrupt.
Depravity is at our finger tips, and glorification of evil permeates our media.
The contemptibles, the abominations, the serpents, the wolves capture our gaze. Like a car accident we can’t look away, yet we must! We must turn our gaze from those who would seek to distract us from the warmth, from the light, from the love of The Lord Our Father.
We are being pulled at. Clawed at from beyond the dark veil. The Evil One is desperate to keep us in the world, to keep us stuck, to keep our gaze from turning towards The Lord.
We must remain diligent. We must put in concerted effort to evade the snares and traps of the devil.
Today’s verses from Daniel tell us the end is coming. Those who keep their gaze on The Lord and help others do the same will see everlasting rewards.
But we need to remain steadfast, which is a challenge now more than ever.
It’s too easy to be lured towards the dark side. It’s too easy to lose our focus. It’s too easy to fall into the snares and traps of the Evil One when they are everywhere imaginable and in places we can’t even fathom.