During my undergraduate years in college, my honors thesis project was trying to prove the impossibility of holding an agnostic view on God’s existence. I did all right on it, despite my inexperience with academic philosophy jargon, but I think the most disappointing part about it for me was realizing that I was not actually too concerned with the metaphysical cogency of the argument (as my interlocutors were). I was mostly trying to be provocative, trying to call people off the fence.
You either believe in God, or you do not, and your actions indicate what you believe…, so went my argument. All this ‘agnosticism mumbo jumbo’ is an excuse, a fear of being wrong, a fear of searching, or a fear to commit. Though a step further than mere ‘agnosticism,’ today’s readings remind me of the absolute necessity to get off the fence in our Christian life. We are either in, or we are out. All or nothing. There is no in-between.
The Fence Might Not Actually Be an Option
Jeremiah is in the muddy cistern because King Zedekiah cannot get off the fence. The princes of Judah are upset because Jeremiah is preaching what they do not want to hear, namely, that they need to flee the city before it is handed over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. They come complaining to the king about him, and the king quickly surrenders Jeremiah to them. Not too long after he gives the princes permission to throw Jeremiah away, he gives Ebed-melech permission to take him out again. Talk about wishy-washy…
The result? Because of his inability to lead, take a stand, and heed the voice of God with any kind of consistency, it is under his rule that all of Jerusalem and God’s holy temple with it is destroyed for the first time. With this end in mind, one could make the claim that King Zedekiah was not merely being wishy-washy at all. In the end, he was a pawn for the enemy.
St. Ignatius of Loyola would certainly make that claim. In his famous meditation called ‘The Two Standards,’ he poses two flags we can choose to fall under: Christ’s or Satan’s. There is no third flag. There is no option to just be under neither flag, nor a little under both flags. So, if you are choosing the ‘middle ground,’ you are probably really choosing the losing ground that is lying to you and saying it is the middle ground. If you cannot make up your mind, the enemy is going to overtake you. “Whoever is not with me, is against me, and whoever does not gather with me, scatters.” (Matthew 12:30). King Zedekiah is example A.
The Heart of Jesus: The Furthest Possible End Away from the Fence
Our Lord’s words in today’s Gospel are a far cry from the fence of diffidence. We hear His Heart’s pressing desire for fire. Not a mellow, warm, glowing hearth, but an all-consuming, raging inferno that scorches and purifies. We hear how impatient He is to communicate His love for us by his bloody martyr’s death, this other ‘baptism.’ Even at the cost of the division of families, the very families that would build up His Church, He prefers fire, battle, war over a faux ‘peace.’
It is in this Gospel that His words to St. Faustina are palpable: “These souls wound my heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: ‘Father take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will. ’For them, the last hope of salvation is to flee to My mercy” (Diary Entry 1228). Under the flag of Christ the King, there is no role for lukewarm, on-the-fence, half-hearted Christians. In fact, they are so contrary to His pure, dead set, even stubborn Heart of Love that they are more appalling to Him than the icy cold soul that is at least clear in its intention.
In prayer today, let the Holy Spirit convict you of what areas of your life you are just ever-so-slightly (or blatantly) flirting with Satan’s standard. Let our Lord’s burning Heart set you ablaze where you have become cool. Ask Him to give you the grace to get off the fence, take up your sword, and, if the battle against sin has not yet called for bloodshed, let it begin today (Hebrews 12:4). Thy Kingdom Come!!
[Readings: Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10; Hebrews 12:1-4; Luke 12:49-53]
I loved the strength and passion of this reflection! Thank you for urging us to be ardent in our faith–to get off the fence and choose which side we are on. I was intrigued by your opening paragraph about the argument against agnosticism. I agree, there is definitely an underlying fear of committing to any one side. I really liked how you noted that our Lord has a “pressing desire for fire.” We need to rediscover this aspect of Our Lord’s Heart. His Truth sets the world ablaze. Thank you and God bless!
Very nice – ultimately deciding between God and Satan brings division. The peace Christ came to give results in division because the peace of the world chooses sitting on the fence to please all or choosing to get along with evil principles so as to not create division or attention to oneself.
Today I thought about something for the first time: to be pro-life is to make a decision that divides and thus will cause people to assault your view or even your person. To be pro-choice, one is not really making a decision, but sitting on the fence to accommodate either decision a woman makes. It’s King Zedekiah’s fence sit all over again.
I guess I went off on a slight tangent, but let me end as I began. I really enjoyed your reflection tremendously.
I love this!! That’s a perfect application of the modern-day King Zedekiah, and I’ve never thought about it that way either. Being pro-choice is one of the biggest fence-sits that allows for so much evil! Thank you for sharing:)