3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 25, 2015
10 AM Liturgy
J.A. Loftus, S.J.
When is having a lack of impulse control not necessarily a
bad thing? I suppose it’s an occupational hazard, but that’s where I
found myself going after reading today’s scriptures.
Impulse control is one of those psychiatric categories that
range far and wide over an entire spectrum of so-called
“disorders.” It can be as simple as saying to yourself, “I cannot
resist that cookie over there,” to serious dysfunctions like
kleptomania (the impulse to steal just for the self gratification), to
pyromania (the impulse to light fires in dangerous places).
Impulse control issues are also at the heart of many addictions
(from alcohol, drugs, nicotine, sex or pornography). And the list
could go on.
Rarely do the sacred scriptures detail so clearly several
examples of impulsive behavior as they do today. (Oh, we do have
examples of men like King David with the young Bathsheba.) But
today takes the proverbial cake!
Regarding poor impulse control Jonah appears to be—as an
old film once described Alan Alda—as the “Mohammed Ali of
mental illness” (from The Four Seasons). Poor Jonah can’t seem to
stop himself from one impulsive decision after another. And he is
just trying to get away from being told God wants him to become a
prophet. He resists mightily—even going so far as to run away to
the farthest reaches of the earth. Even offering to have himself
thrown overboard in the tempest. Even getting swallowed by a
huge fish (perhaps the legendary Whale). But his God is even more
relentless. God does tend to always win in the scriptures!
Then to push Jonah’s story just a little bit further than today’s
gospel does, Jonah relents, does play the prophet, and gets terribly
upset and angry when he is believed. In fact, in another impulsive
bust he gets angry with God because “God changes God’s mind” and
spares everyone. So when is having a lack of good impulse control
not necessarily a bad thing?
In today’s gospel—if we don’t romanticize it too much—we
have four more instances of young men acting—well frankly—
impulsive. They all just walk away from their livelihoods, their
wives, their homes, and God-knows-what else. And all because
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another, albeit terribly attractive young man, says, “come on follow
me!” And they simply do! That’s poor impulse control in the flesh!
And imagine what the Zebedee boys’ father is thinking. I bet he can
recognize youthful foolishness without even resorting to the DSM V
(that’s the bible of contemporary psychiatry).
So, let’s ask our question again: “When is having a lack of
impulse control not necessarily a bad thing?” What are you
thinking at this point? Sometimes? Never? Maybe there’s an inbetween?
I was so struck just last Sunday by another very
contemporary example of impulse control gone apparently awry.
Pope Francis was listening to several children and young people at
a Mass for youth in Manila. When one little girl began to sob as she
described her young life up to last Sunday. She was abandoned,
had to forage in the streets for food, sleep outdoors in all kinds of
weather, had lost her entire family, and the story just went on. She
finally reached out to the Pope physically and asked, “Why does
God let children suffer so much?”
The Pope had an impulsive moment. He laid down his
prepared text slowly, held the little girl in a touching embrace, his
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eyes too filled with tears, and he answered her by saying quietly,
“Sometimes we can only see God’s ways through our tears.”
Pope Francis laid aside all the trappings of “Popedom” (as he
has done so often now); he gave no clever, theologically astute
theory about theodicy, or the place of suffering in a child’s world.
He just acted as a grandfather might; he held her and wept with
her.
It was clearly an impulsive gesture that spoke to the world of
what real authority looks like. Sometimes, apparently, impulsive
decisions become the right thing to do.
In the end, Jonah saved almost a half-million people. Not a
bad result for a series of impulsive, angry outbursts. Peter and
Andrew, James and John began the most awesome and terrifying
journey of their lives. But as they walked quietly behind Jesus,
they had no clue….what it was really all about. Nor would they for
years!
And Francis? Like his name-sake who stood naked in the
town square and renounced his life, our Francis modeled for the
world what real power is. In that instant he certainly smelled like
his sheep. And he showed us how to do the same.
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Let’s look at Jonah, those first naïve apostles, and Pope
Francis. So when is having a lack of good impulse control not
necessarily a bad thing? Be careful as you ponder. Impulsivity
always invites careful discernment. We are all capable of doing
and saying some really stupid things on impulse. But sometimes
the impulse is of God. God does often ask strange things of people.
Listen carefully. Good luck! Peace!
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