other columns
Aswang Festival in retrospect
The Fullness of Life
Harnessing the monster within
(First of a series)
In China, the Yellow River was once a devastating monster that caused the ruins of crops and houses and claimed the lives of thousands whenever it swelled and overflowed into the villages. Then came a very clever emperor who decided to grapple with the problem. An incredible feat of engineering was devised: a floating dike which was made of bamboo was fed into the river and re-routed the raging water into small tributary to irrigate the farms of the villagers. What once was a cause of death and destruction now contributes to the good and progress of the people.
Now and again we come across stories like that of David and Goliath, how the weak and inexperienced David defeated the mighty and towering Goliath and thereupon took the giant's own sword to chop off his head.
Or again, it might be the story of a knight speeding to rescue a lovely maiden from the clutches of a dragon, and the dragon, once slain, turned out to be the guardian of a cave where immense treasure is kept.
We all enjoy such stories. They satisfy some deep, undiscovered yearnings in the human soul. We all have a monster lurking within, often causing devastation, and how we wish we could tame that monster, harness it and put it into good use! Like the great, raging Yellow River which holds tremendous power, that monster within us can also be a potential power either of destruction or of healings and life.
St. Paul expressed it in a way that resonates with our common experience (cf. Rom. 7:15-23). He said, 'I do not understand my own actions. For I do not want what I want but I do everything I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. So it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good that I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin dwells within me.
St. Paul continued, 'So I find it to be the law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin which dwells in my members.'
It would be helpful for us to ask ourselves: What is that monster that lurks within me? Could it be an uncontrolled passion of anger which often erupts violently beyond the bounds of reason? Could it be an addiction to gambling which often tempts me to risk even the family fortunes? Could it be some overwhelming lust for money, sex, or for domination? What could that monster or monsters be that often caused havoc in my life?
Very often behind a problem, an obstacle or an apparent evil, is hidden a potential good. Artists, inventors, business entrepreneurs and many others had reaped fortunes by filling up what was needed, or by discovering the solutions to problems.
In our beautiful and orderly world, which is often messed up and tarnished by man's incompetence and the pull of his baser nature, we discover countless opportunities for extracting blessings out of the challenges, difficulties and problems that constantly crop up. We only need to be insightful and innovative. But insights and innovations can only bear good fruit if guided by wisdom-and wisdom cannot exist apart from God.
Unless we slay the monster that lurks within us-that is: the root cause of sin and vices-and harness it, we can never hope to attain some lasting good. The rise and fall of nations and civilizations, when closely analyzed, often reveal the hidden causes of their fall to the unbridled greed among the leaders, leading to massive grafts and corruptions. Whatever good we might acquire can only be lasting when wisely managed and prudently maintained. But where can we find a person of wisdom and prudence who is a slave to vices? And how can we subdue and tame that monster within us?
After admitting the conflict between god and evil within him, St. Paul cried out both in anguish and relief, 'Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!'
Christ, then, is the answer. He is the Dike that was fed into the river to divert the raging water of pains and sufferings caused by sin into constructive use. He is the Invincible Sword that was used to slay the ferocious dragon. He is the Champion that can liberate us from the monster that causes havoc in our life and transform our vices into virtues, our weaknesses into strength, and our sinfulness into graces of redemption and eternal salvation.
(To be continued)