When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said: “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” Others, to test him, kept demanding from him a sign from heaven. But he knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desert, and house falls on house. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? —for you say that I cast out the demons by Beelzebul. Now if I cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his castle, his property is safe. But when one stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his plunder. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting place, but not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ When it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

As we enter into imaginative prayer, we stand among the crowd who has just seen the unimaginable, Jesus calling a demon out of a man. Our reaction is swift and moves from accusing hi of being in collaboration with Beelzebul to a demand that Jesus must prove we are wrong. As all humans, we strive to make sense of what we don’t understand and attach our own explanation to it, no matter that it is nonsensical. We label out of fear and are slow to admit that we just may not have the capacity to understand these mysteries. 

And so we search for wisdom, requiring a pause and a look inward. We remind ourselves to ask questions before making judgments, refusing to allow fear to turn holy mystery into our fabricated monster. We are a people of the God of surprises. For starters, we believe in an unfathomable resurrection and that the body and blood of Christ is present at every Mass. St. Ignatius taught us to seek God in all things. In place of judgement born of fear, we instead assume goodness and lean into radical openness. We clear away the clutter of what we thought we knew, allowing space for grace to enter and our hearts to become a home for a spirit of understanding, acceptance, and love. 

How might I pause and allow holy mystery into my heart today?

—Tere Allen is a retired vice principal from Sacred Heart Nativity Schools in San Jose, California, who is now contemplating God through her Substack writing. 

Generous and loving God, keep our hearts safe from fear and judgment, reminding us that our strength comes from the Holy Spirit. 

Help us to model our lives on Jesus, always seeing goodness in all that we struggle to understand. We ask that the gaps of confusion be filled with your love, truth, and mercy. 

Keep us grounded in you so that your light shines through our thoughts, words, and actions.                                                                                                   

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.                                                                        

Amen.

—Tere Allen