Scripture: Revelation 18:7-8 – “As she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, so give her a like measure of torment and grief. Since in her heart she says, ‘I rule as a queen; I am no widow, and I will never see grief,’therefore her plagues will come in a single day—pestilence and mourning and famine—and she will be burned with fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.” (NRSVue)
Does anyone remember the James Bond movie, GoldenEye? One of the most memorable characters is Boris Grishenko, played by Alan Cumming. He is a traitorous computer programmer, known to shout, “I am invincible!” whenever he solves a problem. As everything gets blown up at the end of the movie, Boris once again shouts, “I am invincible!” just as he is frozen to death by a blast of liquid nitrogen, his arms permanently flexing above his head.
This is a fun moment in the film where one of the villains gets his comeuppance. But it is an example of blind pride. Boris literally thought that nothing could harm him, that his cleverness could solve any problem, and yet destruction caught him from behind, showing how foolish he was in his arrogance.
There are many people and systems in our world that think they can never fall. That they will always succeed. That they will face no consequences for their actions. But things always catch up with them at the end.
We see this lesson in the Book of Revelation. One of the most striking symbols is that of Babylon the Great, depicted as a harlot to which all the nations of the world give homage. Babylon is rich, luxurious, and seemingly untouchable. Those who serve her know they will become wealthy. Babylon is called a city, but all the clues in the text indicate that it is not the old Mesopotamian city of Babylon, but rather the city of Rome. She represents all the economic might of the Roman Empire, the upper class who foolishly think that their money protects them, and they can live their lives in frivolity and cruelty. Revelation promises that God will send plagues of wrath upon them, and when they least expect it.
We can see many people of wealth and power in the news who feel similarly untouchable, and we long for their humiliation. But they are not the only ones who feel this way. People that we know in our everyday life, even if they are not powerful, still show a sense of entitlement. One of the lessons of the Advent season is that our prayers for God to return to us are not so we can love a little baby and a prince of peace who makes everyone feel safe and nice. God holds us accountable, even if we do not hold ourselves accountable. And there will come a time, whether it is from God’s return, climate change, political and economic upheaval, or just the inevitability of bad choices that will see our defeat.
We are not immune to this. Think about how invincible you feel. Is it because of your faith, or is it because of your wealth, social standing, or identities that prove that society will always favor you? True certainty comes only with faith, as it is the humble and the meek who will inherit the Earth. Keep yourself humble and faithful. The reward may not be invincible riches, but love and justice for those who need it the most.
Prayer: Lord, keep me humble and let me see that my successes and advantages are only temporary. Let me put you and the concerns of those less fortunate than me in my mind always. Amen.
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