The Friendly Face of Reality
Simone Riva - There is no sadder experience than feeling betrayed. But the remedy isn't cynicism, but rather taking refuge in a Friendwho has defeated evil on our behalf.
In this Sunday's Gospel, we find one of those phrases that describes a dynamic that, if we could, we would gladlyeliminate from our lives: “You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and some of you will be put to death; you will be hated by all because of my name” (Lk 21:16-17). There is no experience more painful, in fact, than seeing our most cherished relationships violated. Suddenly, the suspicion arises that nothing is truly worthwhile or lasting, that it is better not to trust anyone, that it is better to build a wall and keep everyone at bay.
Many of the struggles we find ourselves entangled in arise from this fear which, if it does not find an escape route, ends up determining the way we face reality.
For some, it manifests as cynicism, which obscures any glimmer of unexpected good. In others, it takes the form of camaraderie, accepting any way of being together as long as it does not involve personal risk. In still others, it takes the form of the illusion of self-sufficiency, as if we could live without authentic bonds.
Jesus, in fact, also mentions the risk of presenting oneself as the solver of all problems, asking for trust without justification: “Be careful not to be deceived. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them!” (Lk 21:8).
The 80th anniversary of the Nuremberg trials reminds us of the historical consequences of such an approach: the power of a few ends up deciding the lives of many. This happens to those who, despite having given up a home for themselves, dare to offer themselves as a home for others. For those who do not accept this, the alternative is to leave or be eliminated, as the Gospel warns.
However, the prophecy of Christ does not end there. The Gospel continues: “But not a hair of your head will be lost” (Lk 21:18). There is a point of victory in us that does not come from us. We see it in many stories and testimonies of people who, despite having every reason to surrender to the nihilism of those who consider life itself a great betrayal, unexpectedly start again from an ineradicable event, capable of restoring the friendly face of reality to us.
“Not even a hair” means that nothing of us will be lost, nothing that has passed through our lives, nothing we have discovered, suffered, desired, loved, or done wrong... and only God can go so far, because he is the only one who is not afraid of who we are. This is the true home of our heart, where we are embraced without conditions.
Yesterday, the Pope met with representatives from the world of cinema and, at one point, said: "One of the most valuable contributions of cinema is precisely to help the viewer return to themselves, to look with new eyes at the complexity of their own experience, to see the world as if for the first time and to rediscover, in this exercise, a portion of that hope without which our existence is not full. It comforts me to think that cinema is not just moving pictures: it is setting hope in motion!”
Recently, a friend recommended the TV series Slow Horses, a witty spy story that highlights the differences between those who expect everything from well-organized structures and those who enjoy the unexpected, transforming the “quagmire” into a real home.
“Coming to one's senses” remains the most effective way to avoid suffering betrayals, but to go through them as an opportunity that the true Friend allows to reaffirm his loyalty, which happens as he wants and with whom he wants. The alternative had already been brilliantly expressed by the great Eliot: dreaming of “systems so perfect that no one would need to be good anymore” (Choruses from “The Rock”, 1934). Better the risk of freedom!
