Turkish Delight and other terrible things for which we trade our souls.

In the Christian classic and movie The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Edmund is so obsessed with his favorite treat, Turkish Delight, and so angry at the world for his mistreatment that he betrays those he really loves.

Perhaps the most tempting and deadly of all these sumptuous treats is the idea that we are special, that the world revolves around us.  This misconception doesn’t rob from us all forms of compassion or selflessness, but it does cause us to put ourselves in a special place that can only be granted to us by others.  This aura of specialness that we surround ourselves with produces a creeping selfishness that infects the way we see the world and relate to one another and if left unchecked will erode our love for others as we sink into a deepening maelstrom of self-infatuation.  The good things within us, our humanity, derive from our closeness to the Lord, not our absorption in self.

Jesus is our example of selfless living.  He said he came not to be served, but to serve others (Mt 20:28).  He also told us that our leaders should be those who serve the rest (Mt 20:27).  There are scores of other references to Jesus and the apostles that deal with love and selfless giving.  We are commanded to love one another, serve one another and put others before ourselves.  We are told to discipline our speech so that it builds up others in their faith in Christ.  We are also reminded not to eat or drink to purposefully offend someone weaker, nor flaunt our religious practices.  On the other side, we are not to expect others to meet our standard of diet and religious piety, but to let the Lord direct them as we labor to restore while maintaining a sense of self-distrust and humility.

As we approach Easter, you can change the atmosphere in your home, job, class and wherever you find yourself, if you will see where you are as a place to serve.  The sweet-tasting candy called “me” will destroy us as sure as poison.   The antidote is to be like Jesus.