by The Rev. Dr. Max Lynn
SCRIPTURE READINGS I Kings 8: 1,6,10-11,22-30, Ephesians 6:10-20
Transcribed from the sermon preached on AUGUST 25, 2024
I’m fascinated and intrigued by Paul’s concept that it is not flesh and blood which is our primary struggle, but the “Cosmic powers of this present darkness.” It would be the inclination of rational minded people in the West to dismiss his terms as imaginary or old primitive thinking. But it does seem to me that there are some forces at work in the world, forces being triggered or triggering us in this volatile moment in world history. And it might be worth our while to contemplate how they have developed and how they become cosmic forces, and how they act upon us or we with them.
There are many angles we could go with this, but this morning I want to reflect a bit on evolution and the Jungian concept of the Collective unconscious and archetypes.
What motivates individuals in a herd to run together when they are fleeing a predator? Not too long ago I saw a bit of a documentary on flocking and herding behavior. They said the instinct of the individual animal is to get in the middle, to not be left alone or on the outside so that it is their butt that is exposed. The collective result is a big mass which presents a more formidable and dangerous situation for the predator. In human society, the big bully or the big boss may get trampled by the masses. And we have myths which instill in us the desire to stay close to the pack. The God Pan, the half goat half man that hides in the bushes and jumps out producing panic as he tries to capture young women who have strayed away.
Animals also have an instinct to rely on others to help them spot dangers and know when to run. So, when one is startled and begins to run, all the others join them. It doesn’t have to be a real threat, just something that someone can imagine as a threat, or something fast, loud or unexpected. Humans are very complex so we can fabricate all sorts of elaborate real and imaginary threats. When things are strange and new, either someone or something new comes into our home turf, or we are out in new territory, the instinct to jump to conclusions will be higher. Thus, we have a higher degree of weakness for conspiracy theories and scapegoating.
So, when we have a new and unique threat of a pandemic, people go to Costco and see others piling up toilet paper, panic ensues and everyone rushes to get toilet paper so it is not their butt that is left exposed.
I suspect a riot also reflects some of our evolutionary instinctive behavior too. Part of why we don’t do bad things is that we don’t want to get caught, punished or pushed to the margins. So, if we can do something without others finding out, or if a whole group swarms to destroy and steal things, there is both the instinct to follow and join others, to stampede, and the pack instinct to swarm or hunt together, and the knowledge that there are so many people you are unlikely to get singled out and caught. Whatever it may be, we know the power of a mob and what drives a mob is something beyond the individual mind of individual flesh and blood bodies. Often it will be caused by the blatant audacious violence of a predator, or desperation for vital resources.
Other evolutionary instincts which seem influential on human collective life would be the mammalian tendency for the strongest male to dominate mating and territory, and for others to back them up so they aren’t the ones to be killed or kicked out of the pack.
It has always been frustrating to me to see how often on the school yard and in adult life how people will back up the bully, and how the bully is often popular. On the other hand, if a new bully upsets the social structure, then the new bully may get ganged up on by a pack. On the other hand, the head bully may be such a bully that a brave individual with skill can take them out and they will become a hero. David and Goliath or the Lion King. In this morning’s Hebrew scripture reading Solomon is showing how he is deserving and orderly and respectfully inheriting power from his father David and with the honor and help of God.
In human society as ingenuity and cooperation continue to gain competitive advantage, masculine strength matters less and less. The more our weapons and economic tools depend less on physical strength and aggression, and the masculine drive for mating and aggression are managed, funneled and controlled, and success depends more on intelligence and cooperation, women will rise in status. But any breakdown of cooperative technological society, either in subcultures or the whole society, or where accumulation of wealth and power frustrates male self-satisfaction in mass, women’s rights and safety will be in danger. Male mammal mating and aggression tendencies have developed over millions of years, so they are not going anywhere soon.
Sometimes it may just be the perceived threat of status loss, and not any actual intended threat by the outsider which triggers threatened leaders to provoke a mob attack. So, the new kid in school or the new person on the job, or a change in racial demographics or laws of inclusion may trigger resistance or aggression, not for any intended aggression on the new peoples part but merely because they have skill, looks or attitude to be a potential threat. Or they show weakness and other people who perceive themselves as having unstable status will take advantage to show themselves they have some power.
Since good surfing waves are an open yet limited resource, and there are no written rules and no officially sanctioned police or officials, a highly coveted surf break will operate a bit like a wolf pack or perhaps more accurately, like a good fishing hole for bears. The first two rules are don’t steal someone else’s wave and take turns. But it is much more complicated than that. If you are out surfing and hardly anybody is a local or the wave isn’t that great, everybody just follows those two rules and is happy. But the better the wave and more narrow the focal point or territory, the more likely there will be a pecking order. If you are an outsider you need to come in humble and quiet, sitting on the perimeter until you can size up the pecking order, and make sure there is room for you without stirring up the pack. You hope to get a fish or wave or two on the edge for a while, and if the big local boys, or the protective mother bears seem kind of nice, or if on that day there are a lot of fish or waves, or not many locals, maybe you can move on in. Now if you come in with a crowd, make a bunch of noise, and go right to the prime spot like it is your right, you are asking for trouble. Now with humble respect over time you show your skill, you can earn respect and move up in the order.
Now I have emphasized the negative or aggressive collective instincts. Even these tendencies I have mentioned have their positives, and there are many positive and affirming instincts. The bible talks of God as being like a mother bear or a mother hen, a protective lion or king, a supportive and protective Father.
It is time to start watching the Brooks Falls live bear cam as the bears fatten up on salmon for winter. The other night I saw a little clip of a story of a mother bear who went back into heat, or whatever they call it, too early. When momma bears get the burst of hormones and go into heat, they abandon their cubs so the males who come to mate won’t kill them. But this momma went into heat early so her cub was too young to survive on its own. But a few weeks later the cub was adopted into the family of another mother bear.
Anyway, these examples are just the tip of the iceberg on the instincts that we do not choose as individuals to have. They are not just our individual psyche but something we inherit. Carl Jung argues that culture is shaped, as he calls them, by archetypes, which then make their way into culture through myths that incorporate and reflect these needs, instincts and reactions over time.
We are not necessarily conscious of these archetypes, but when a situation arises similar to that from which they evolved, they come up from the collective unconscious inside of us and lead us in these behaviors and directions. Archetypes will direct our behavior often unconsciously, so we will panic, or scapegoat, or create an idol and look to empower an autocratic leader when things get confusing or tough. So, it really isn’t just the individual person, the individual narcissistic bully who rises to power that we are contending with, but this historical, archetypal tendency that wells up from within us, both as individuals and collectively when the time is ripe for it.
Of course, there are powerful strong and positive and good archetypes as well. For instance, the one who, though he was in form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but humbled himself, taking human form, becoming a servant. The other night I saw a woman speak about hope and not going small who evoked from my subconscious the image of a strong Oak. The storm winds are not blowing her down. She gives shade from the heat, oxygen to breathe. Life. The last couple of weeks we have referred to Sophia wisdom, the Spirit of God. These are the positive spiritual archetypes that come up to help us deal with cosmic forces of this present age.
And today Paul invokes the image of Spiritual battle where you and I, as disciples of Christ are warriors for love and grace and peace.
Ephesians 6:13-17
13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on the evil day and, having prevailed against everything, to stand firm.
14Stand, therefore, and belt your waist with truth and put on the breastplate of Righteousness 15and lace up your sandals in preparation for the gospel of peace.
16With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
First, we want to acknowledge that we will have these unconscious spiritual forces that will tempt us. We all have the capacity to be sucked in by the cosmic forces of this present darkness. So, we have to pull of the Spiritual forces of the living, loving God, the Spirit within us to do battle.
I hope you have seen that photo of a mass group of people giving a Nazi Salute. And there is one single individual standing in the middle of them standing firm, arms crossed. The cosmic forces of spiritual darkness are not winning in him.
Jim Wallis tells the story that when the South African government canceled a political rally against apartheid, Desmond Tutu led a worship service in St. George’s Cathedral.
" The walls were lined with soldiers and riot police carrying guns and bayonets, ready to close it down. Bishop Tutu began to speak of the evils of the apartheid system – how the rulers and authorities that propped it up were doomed to fall. He pointed a finger at the police who were there to record his words: “You may be powerful – very powerful – but you are not God. God cannot be mocked. You have already lost.”
Then in a moment of unbearable tension, the bishop seemed to soften. Coming out from behind the pulpit, her flashed that radiant smile and began to bounce up and down with glee. “Therefore, since you have already lost, we are inviting you to join the winning side.”
The crowd roared, the police melted away and the people began to dance. "