Gravity
There was a titled landowner with vast vineyards near Santiago Chile. The cellars for his wine were enormous, but his finest vintages were kept in a small cave. When he discovered that locals were pilfering his best wines he began to spread a rumor to discourage the superstitious villagers. He let it slip that this cave was the cellar of the devil. Shrinkage declined precipitously.
As we toured the winery we were told this story and we admired the ingenuity of a man who turned the tables and used the devil for a change. I noticed that a wrought iron sign adorned the mouth of the cave stating “ No Hay Diablo Leso”. My friend Alejandro told me there was “no direct translation but it means ‘there is no silly evil”.
It may have been a warning to those who would scoff. It got me thinking though, that we do scoff at evil. We dance the edges of temptation. We tantalize our fears. We pretend to immunity, but there is a draw to the edge. Now, I would like to say that vampire movies are evil because I don’t like vampire movies. It does disturb me that the most empowered generation of young women in history appear to have a corporate fantasy of being consumed by eternal adolescents (not one of which has a day job). I’d like to say that the books and movies are evil, but I can’t. I can say, however that there is a point at which enticement becomes entrapment. We know it when it happens because we feel the pull of its gravity.
When we respond to God’s call and enter by faith into relationship with Him we receive a new nature. By His grace we are saved from the consequences we deserve. This side of eternity we cohabitate with the broken nature we were born to. Evil seems to extend a gravitational pull on this old nature.
Paul explains this powerful attraction in Romans 5, saying that before he knew Jesus he was not free not to sin. But in chapter 7 he describes the complication of free will. He has the freedom to choose between serving the old and the new nature. My mentor said it was as if Paul had lived in a cage his entire life. He said that Jesus had opened the door, but that he still chose to live I the cage much of time. We get to choose.
The moment we recognize the tug of the attraction to evil we can choose. We don’t have innate strength to pull away, but we have access to unlimited power. Power to choose. The psalmist says “deep calls to deep” (Ps 42) or like nature calls to like nature. I believe this is true of both our old and new nature. This tug of attraction leads to entrapment. This gravity’s influence is due to both power and proximity.
Physicists tell us that all mass is subject to gravity. More mass equals more weight, more gravitational force. Now please bear with me as I take this analogy one step further. The Hebrew word for weight also translates as glory. So, the God of glory would have a gravitational pull many times stronger than our Sun. By comparison Satan’s gravity might be as strong as a cosmic spec like our moon. So, why then do the two powers appear to be so close in size and influence? Proximity.
Being near to a blessing or a temptation (e.g. a person, a rumination, an activity) begs my attention. When I attend to someone or something I give it weight. When I pay attention I am giving glory. By moving toward it I give it’s gravity more influence.The innate power of the one to whom I attend does not wax and wane. By choosing proximity I increase its influence.
Those of us with two natures may choose. When I sense the pull toward evil I am able, but not always willing, to choose to call on the power of the Holy Spirit. He provides the strength to achieve escape velocity. I believe that this lesson, sparked by visiting a Chilean cave, will help me to be more intentional in choosing to be entrapped in orbit of God. No Hay Diablo Leso.