Wednesday, May 21, 2014

CAT CHARM

Cats get what they want in two ways. Either they become nasty, aggressively insisting on getting their way, or they become super nice, unctuously charming another into doing what they want. I have told you about Baxter’s angry side with its cries and hisses, but you may not know about his ingratiating side where he tries to seduce his innocent victim into giving him what he wants. Yes, Baxter is a charm school graduate. He knows how to butter up someone who has what he’s looking for—a treat, a way to open the door or window, a soft lap where he can stay warm. He uses two devices in his wily scheme. He purrs and purrs and purrs, loudly and rhythmically. The sound is so calming and soothing, who can resist its hypnotizing effects. The other charming technique Baxter has developed is the leg rub. Purring away, he gently pushes up against my ankle with a massage-like pressure to comfort my tired legs and tell me that he cares, that there is no one like me, that I’m the best. Of course, all of this is hogwash, but it works. It lowers my guard, and so I give into whatever has provoked Baxter’s wily charms. Honey attracts more bees than  vinegar.

Our words and actions have a great effect on others. They set the terms on which we relate to each other. They either open doors to understanding and affection, or close them. They draw people into our lives with the interest they arouse, or they keep them at bay with the cold shoulder or deception they offer. We regulate the flow of human interaction by the tone of our voice and the body language we present. Without saying a word, we can communicate a message of “keep out” or “welcome”, using our eyes and posture to convey the point. And we can try to fake it as well. We can mask our true feelings in insincere words and gestures, things said and done to manipulate another so that he or she will do what we want. As a last resort, we force our will on another with threats, the exercise of authority, or even physical strength. Like cats, we humans want to get our way, and we use whatever works to do so.

Jesus was so different in this regard. The Gospel picture of Him shows someone who neither forces other people to follow Him nor tries to deceive them into doing so. Jesus is a straight talker, saying “yes” when He means “yes” and “no” when He means “no”. He doesn’t weasel His answers to get out of controversy, but He doesn’t look for a fight either. He opens the truth of God’s Kingdom to invite others to come and see, and He doesn’t expect them to get it all the first time. His disciples grow in their understanding and love for His message through the course of the Gospel story, and they continue to do so as they become His witnesses after the resurrection. Jesus walks with others on their life’s journey. He doesn’t force them to go His way, nor does He reject them because they went  astray. Think of the rich young man with many possessions, or the woman caught in adultery. Jesus is not a tyrant or a charmer. He is God’s mercy incarnate, inviting whoever will listen and see to come along and judge for themselves who He is and how He can heal their lives. “Who do people say that I am? Who do you say that I am?” And in the great reversal of expectations and desires, rather than causing others to sacrifice for His comfort, Jesus sacrifices Himself for our salvation.

Like cat charms, human charmers can stroke our egos and make us feel good about what we do for them. But they can’t save us. Only He who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, can fulfill that mission. He invites us. Judge for yourself who is worth following.