When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet: “A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more.” 

In the year 2154, the United States Armed Forces launched a mission to Pandora, a moon in orbit around a massive star. They were searching for Unobtanium, a mineral that Earth desperately needed to save it from the energy crisis it was facing. They found it, but they also found a race of people called the Na'vi, basically good people who possessed a real love of the animals and nature that were part of their planet. The military then set out to do what they needed to do to obtain the mineral. Part of the operation involved a scientific research development that would allow certain created beings to "bond" with the Na'vi, using Na'vi look-a-like bodies called avatars. The goal for the operation was a selfish one: the people in charge would do anything to get what they wanted, even if it meant hurting the Na'vi in the process.

The little family that we have come to call “holy” discovered early on that the intentions of people in power may be evil. In the story dealing with the magi from the East, the evangelist Matthew tells us that Herod became furious once he found out that the wise men had tricked him. Following the advice of an inspired dream, Joseph, along with Mary and the young Jesus, had to travel to a foreign country to escape his fury, a fury that led to the slaughter of innocent children.

The slaughter of innocent people was not the original goal of the Armed Forces who had traveled to Pandora in the movie "Avatar." In fact, they were ready to accomplish their goal in a peaceful manner, having allowed Dr. Augustine and her team to try to "bond" with the Na'vi. But when it became evident that the Na'vi did not want to give what the Armed Forces wanted, then selfishness took over their minds. They were set on getting what they wanted and were going to get it, even if it meant that they had to hurt the Na'vi in the process.

As often mentioned in these meditations, we are not as evil as some people in history or case in point, as the military in the fictional story of the conquest of Pandora. But often our intentions are not completely pure either, and when they are not completely pure, we will usually concentrate on what we want, and what we can have. In such a state, we can become so selfish that we will hurt others in order to get what we want.

A true follower of Jesus will understand the importance of other people, no matter what the circumstances, and will do her/his best to conquer the possible evil that comes as a result of selfishness.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, we can so easily fall into selfishness which ultimately will hurt other people. Make us more aware of our intentions, and give us the grace to love other people and never hurt them as we fulfill our desires. Be with us, we pray. 

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©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America