Recently, I watched a YouTube video of an episode of a short running series called, “The Story of God.” The series follows Morgan Freeman in search of God. It was an interesting series on television a few years ago, and it popped up on my YouTube feed as a suggestion and I decided to watch them again.
In one episode, Morgan spoke with Jesse Bering a research psychologist and Head of the Department of Science Communication at Queen's University in Belfast. His primary research area is the cognitive science of religion, with his work centered on the cognitive underpinnings of afterlife beliefs. More recently, using controlled studies, he has begun to explore people’s ability to cognitively reconcile religious and scientific beliefs when they are faced directly with experiences or information that challenge their worldviews.
In one of psychologist Jesse Bering's experiments, researchers told children (ages 5 to 9) to throw Velcro balls at Velcro dartboards. They promised the children special prizes for hitting the bull's eye. But the rules of the game made it difficult for the children to win. First, researchers required the children to stand with their backs to the dartboard. Second, they required them to throw the balls with their wrong hands: left-handed throwing for those who were right-handed and right-handed throwing for left-handed children. The only way the children could win was to cheat.
The researchers divided the children into three groups. In the first group, they left the children unsupervised to play the game as best they could. In the second group, they remained in the room and supervised the play. In the third group, they told the children that someone special would supervise them.
The experimenters showed the kids a picture of a very pretty woman, a character that Bering had made up whose name was Princess Alice. The kids were told that Princess Alice had a magical power. Princess Alice could make herself invisible. Then the children were shown an empty chair and were told that Alice would watch them play the game after the researchers had left.
The question Prof. Bering sought to answer was this: Which group of children was least likely to cheat? As it transpired, the unsupervised children in the first group cheated more - as any parent or teacher would have anticipated. The supervised children in the second group cheated less. The children in the third group - supervised only by an imaginary princess in an empty chair - matched the children in the supervised group in obeying the rules of the game.
Prof. Bering repeated the experiment (slightly altered) with adults. Surprisingly, it produced the same results.
For Prof. Bering, who studies God through the prism of evolutionary psychology, the experiments proved that people do restrain themselves - and play more by the rules of the game - when they think that someone, or something, is watching. "Whether it's a dead ancestor, or God, whatever the supernatural agent it is, if you think that it is watching you, your behavior will be affected."
Oddly enough, atheists experience the same kind of God-fearing response as do people who believe in God. Based on his research, Prof. Bering says this instinctive response goes with "being human."
"I've always said that I don't believe in God," he says, "but I don't really believe in atheists, either. Everybody experiences the illusion that God - or some kind of supernatural agent - is watching them, is concerned about what they do in their private, everyday moral lives." Whether the supernatural agent is called God or karma, it produces the same cautionary inhibition against cheating.
Prof. Bering says atheists "experience it" - but then repudiate it. They "stomp" on their own intuitive sense of supernatural experience. But he adds: "We all have the same basic brain. And our brains have evolved to work in a particular way." Prof. Bering should know. A confirmed atheist, he experienced a personal supernatural moment when his mother died. He now describes himself as an agnostic rather than as an atheist.
In Today’s Gospel, Jesus’ attack on the false prophets is continued but is broadened to include those disciples who perform works of healing and exorcism in the name of Jesus (Lord) but live evil lives. Entrance into the kingdom is only for those who do the will of the Father. On the day of judgment (on that day) the morally corrupt prophets and miracle workers will be rejected by Jesus.
Prof. Bering, unwittingly, was on to the same thing that Jesus speaks to us about in today’s Gospel. How many of us try to cheat our way into the “prize?” The prize of heaven with God. Some of us are very aware that God is everywhere and is watching all of us equally.
Yet, how are we like those who did healings and exorcisms that Jesus calls out? Do we merely do what we think we are supposed to do, but when we don’t think someone is looking, go about our lives as if we are not Christians?
To Prof. Bering’s point, I suspect that each of us does indeed act those we are not being watched. And this is the conundrum. Why do we? We could probably come up with a list of justifications, but when we break them down, they are not justified at all. We also fail to understand that our Lord is watching us 24/7/365. We are only cheating ourselves.
Like in today’s Gospel, Jesus is calling us to walk the talk, and talk the walk. We need to be fully aware that we are being watched, but more importantly, it should not be about whether we are watched or not; it is about doing what is right at all times. Our addictions in life can be messily small things or large. Doesn’t matter. We need to be Christians with true intent. We have our “Princess Alice”, AKA the Holy Spirit, watching us, so no fair cheating!!
Let us pray.
In today’s Gospel Jesus challenges his listeners in their authenticity of being true followers of him. We pray that we not just claim to be Christian and do minor deeds, but that we will do larger deeds out of true love for our God who sees us everywhere and at all times. We pray to the Lord.
We pray that we may never be caught thinking that no one is watching us in all our actions. We pray to the Lord.
We pray that the Holy Spirit fill us with the power and fire of Love. We pray to the Lord.
Today, Temperance Sunday, we pray for those who are struggling with addictions. We pray that they find the courage and support to overcome their affliction and renew their lives. We pray to the Lord.
We pray for families where addictions or intemperance are causing pain and hardships that the Lord give them the patience, the energy and the spiritual support to live through their difficulties. We pray to the Lord.
We pray for our young people that they be given guidance in their lives and an understanding of the dangers of drugs and excessive drinking. We pray to the Lord.
We remember the victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria and pray for a generosity and support from all nations and peoples who are spared from such terrible devastation and calamity. We pray to the Lord.
We pray for the victims and families of the shootings in Michigan and Mississippi this week. We pray for the repose of those killed and comfort of the families and friends. We pray to the Lord.
For an end to violence. We pray to the Lord.
On this coming Ash Wednesday, let us pause and reflect on our mortality and pray to the Father for the grace to live a life that is worthy of the reward which He has promised to those who follow His way. We pray to the Lord.
For those on our parish prayer list, that they may receive swift answers to their needs and that they may find consolation through Christ’s healing presence. We pray to the Lord.
We bow our heads and remember in silence our own personal intentions and the intentions of those who have asked for our prayers (pause). We pray to the Lord.
Wondrous and generous God, your gifts are overwhelming: Your sun lights the way for our journey, and your stars puncture our darkness. Your living water quenches our thirst, and your broken bread opens the door to eternal life. Your healing touch binds up our wounds, and your forgiveness washes clean our sin.
Wondrous and generous God, from the four corners of the earth, a chorus of praise erupts. The ocean roars and the trees shout their joy. From the deepest depths of our being, our prayer gropes to find words of adoration. For you are patient and kind, even as we wander, lured by the trivial and attracted by the quick solution. For you are full of compassion and truth, even as we stumble in relationships and hesitate at the doors of justice.
Come now, wondrous and generous God. Bring comfort to those who agonize over broken relationships, who mourn the death of what used to be. Touch those whose bodies need healing. Liberate those whose addictions warp their full potential. Surprise those whose days are filled with sameness and whose joy has ceased.
Come now, wondrous and generous God. Make this church a place where seeds grow, joy is shared, songs are sung, peace is shaped, dreams are born, sorrow is graced and ripples of love spread. In the name of Jesus our Lord. Amen.
God Love You +++
The Most Rev. Robert Winzens
Pastor – St. Francis Chapel
San Diego, CA.
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