St. James (4:1) asks us today: Why do we quarrel? What causes fights and quarrels among us?
The wife sits down next to the husband
as he flips channels.
She asks, "What's on TV?"
Husband says, "Dust and dirt?"
And then the fight started...
The wife was hinting about what she
wanted for their upcoming anniversary. She says, "I want something shiny
that goes from 0 to 180 in about 3 seconds. Husband buys her a bathroom scale. And then the fight
started......
The wife was looking at herself in the
bedroom mirror. She was not happy with what she saw and says to husband,
"I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly. I really need you to pay me a
compliment.' Husband replies, "Well, at least your eyesight is near perfect." And then the fight started...
One Christmas, husband decided to buy the
mother-in-law a cemetery plot as a Christmas gift... The following year,
husband didn't buy mother-in-law a gift. Mother-in-law asks why, husband replies,
"Well, you still haven't used the
gift I bought you last year!" And that's how the war started....
Life
is a never ending quarrel, they say. Let’s take a look at our readings for
today:
- The godless say: Let us test him with insult and torture, so that we may find out how gentle he is, and make trial of his forbearance. (Wisdom 2:20)
- The conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from?Where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will be disorder and wickedness of every kind. (James 3: 16)
- Jesus asked his disciples: What were you arguing about on the way? But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. (Mk 9.33)
That
is what you call life’s endless quarrels, or eternal quarreling. It’s the classic
fight between the good forces on one side and the evil forces on the other. It
never ends. And do you know how it all began? It all started when God created
Angels… “What are all the angels? They are ministering spirits sent to serve
God and those who are going to receive salvation.” (Heb.1:14) But then one of
them, Lucifer whose name literally means “one who shall bear the light”, refused
and said: “I will not serve.” Instead of bringing the light, he brought the
darkness that is pride, the first sin.
“Then
war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and
the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they
lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient
serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was
hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” (Rev.12:7-9)
Pride
had caused the battle between good and evil in the heavens, and because of Adam
and Eve’s pride, the eternal quarrel continued in this world of ours. Can there be a way out of this life’s
unending quarrels?
Yes,
it is called humility. Saint Augustine once wrote: “It was pride that changed
angels into devils; it is humility that will make men/women as angels.”
“Jesus took a little child and put it
among them: Whoever welcomes the child, welcomes me. Whoever
welcomes humility, welcomes me, who is the wisdom from above. (Mk 9:36) The wisdom from
above is pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good
fruits. A harvest of righteousness is
sown in peace for those who make peace.” (James 3:17)
Way
back in high school (late 70’s) I read the book of Alex Haley, “Roots,” which
also became a TV series. It tells the story of Kunta Kinte, an 18th-century
African, captured as an adolescent and sold into slavery in the United States.
It is considered one of the most important U.S. works of the twentieth century
because it inspired Americans to trace their genealogy. Even at the height of
his fame and fortune Alex kept a picture in his office, showing a turtle
sitting atop a fence. The picture is there to remind him of a lesson he learned
long ago: 'If you see a turtle on a fence
post, you know he had some help.'
Humility
is when we acknowledge that every good thing, every great thing we did was not
done by ourselves alone. We had the help of the Guy above as well as those
around us.
We
are not called to put an end to life’s endless quarrels. We are here to win
those quarrels with humility.
References:
Osborne,
P.B. The Handbook of Magazine Article Writing.