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Then
Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, deeply
regretted what he had done. He returned the thirty pieces of silver to
the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned in betraying
innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? Look to it
yourself.” Flinging the money into the temple, he departed and
went off and hanged himself.
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Perhaps two of the
strongest emotions that we have as human beings are the emotions of
love and its opposite, hate. During this session of the movie,
“Star Wars: Episode II--Attack of the Clones,” we see both
portrayed. First, the love of Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala
develops, a love that one is led to believe will be part of both of
their lives forever, and secondly, a hate that begins with Anakin's
revenge on those who killed his mother, and a hate also that was to
shape his future life.
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Love and hate. What is fascinating about
these emotions is that they can govern the same life at different
times. Judas is the perfect example. At the beginning of his
association with Jesus, his feelings had to be similar to the other
apostles, feelings that can be described as curiosity, a willingness to
become better, and eventually love. Somewhere in his association with
Jesus, his thoughts turned to feelings akin to hate, or at least severe
dislike of the direction Jesus was leading his friends. Finally, just
before he committed suicide, his thought pattern changed again, as he
“deeply regretted” his actions. Like Anakin Skywalker, it
is an intriguing exercise to discuss which emotion determined his life.
Which is the stronger emotion? Because of the way the “Star Wars” series was written, we know that Anakin quite literally becomes evil, but we also know that his final death will be influenced by love. It is an intriguing discussion to determine the dominating factor in Anakin Skywalker’s life. We do not have the powers of Anakin Skywalker, nor do our actions have the impact of Judas Iscariot, but we are human beings with deep emotions. If we have not already, we will understand the overwhelming feelings of love, romantic and otherwise, and unfortunately, we will experience the immense hate that can overpower lives. The question of the mature person is: which will dominate? Love, of course, should be the answer for the Christian. |
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THOUGHT
As you study your life so far, where do you
see the emotions of love and hate portrayed most?
PRAYER Good and gracious God, we
are people who are often overcome by emotions. Sometimes we feel very
good and loving in our actions, sometimes just the opposite. Help us
learn the lessons of your Son so well that true love can direct our
thoughts, words and actions. 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 |
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