The Lost Word

As I lay on one of the pews in the chapel staring heavenward, I close my eyes and sense the vast universe beyond me. I begin to ponder some of the mysteries of our world and our faith that have presented themselves to me recently. These thoughts that I will shortly articulate began upon my arrival back to Liberia (possibly some of the “unfinished business” I still have here), and presented themselves from the two books I am now reading. A rather strange combination perhaps, but with several surprising similarities nonetheless.

I am currently reading God’s Voice Within, a book about Ignatian discernment written by Jesuit priest Mark Thibodeaux, and The Lost Symbol, a novel by Dan Brown, infamous author of The Da Vinci Code (I found this one at the airport in Nairobi, actually hoping for The Da Vinci Code because I’ve never read it and wanted to see what all the fuss was about, but I settled for his latest novel instead). Both have been rather captivating reads, and together helped to pose several theological reflections that I will now try to share.

Spoiler Alert: I will not reveal the plot of The Lost Symbol outright, but several questions or crucial details may be revealed in this entry. So if you are planning on reading this book in the near future, ye be warned.

This is the first Dan Brown book I have read so I can’t speak for all of them, but there are many philosophical and theological discussions throughout The Lost Symbol. It also centers heavily on the Freemasons, particularly on a secret of theirs known as the Ancient Mysteries which is supposed to hold a truth that has the power to transform mankind. And while there are various claims that Brown makes that are clearly contrary to what we believe as Catholics, there are also plenty of points that are worthy of reflection.

One of the main claims that is revealed over the course of this book is that the key to unlocking the Ancient Mysteries, the legendary Lost Symbol, is on full display for all, yet invisible to most. I will not reveal what this is in the book, but I believe that in reality it is much simpler (not that I am consenting to this idea of the Ancient Mysteries, just using it now as an analogy for our faith). This is not a mystery that is hidden for the unworthy or kept secret in order to hide some ancient power from the forces of evil. On the contrary, it is on full display, but the problem is that it is invisible to those who aren’t searching for it.

St. Ignatius says that, “Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by this means to save his soul…our one desire and choice should be what is more conducive to the end for which we are created.” Our task is easy then…in theory. To praise the Lord in our words and actions, our choices and thoughts, by the very air we breathe. So yeah, in reality this may be harder than it sounds. As a result, many have ignored, even forgotten the purpose for our creation. Forgotten this “Ancient Mystery” of humanity. The key then is our relationship with God. In order to follow Him and live the lives we were created for, we must turn to Him who is our Creator and Savior.

But there is another obstacle that we unfortunately also must face. Along with the true spirit there is also the false spirit that will try, and often succeed in derailing us from this mystery and purpose of our creation. And to this point that I will now discuss, I was rather surprised to find a consistent agreement between these two authors.

John 10:10 says that the Lord has come so that we may have life, and have it in abundance. So in our mission to praise, reverence, and serve our Lord, He in turn wishes for us to have life based in His love. And in order to guard ourselves from the false spirit who will all too often tear us down, we must be aware of that which is opposed to love.

My original thought, as I assume most, is that hate is the opposite of love. But actually, it is not. When you hate someone then you have passion, you are actively engaged in that person’s life. No, the opposite of love is actually apathy, a state where you don’t even care enough about the person to hate him (Thibodeaux, p.27). And Brown mentions this in two places, stating that, “Man’s apathy was the fertile ground in which the dark spirits tended their seeds” (p.587). So I am most unloving, most deficient of life, when I have no feelings for you at all. Even Revelation speaks of this: I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth (3:15-16).

So we can build our relationship with God by recognizing that our life comes from His love. Knowing that, “darkness feeds on apathy…and conviction is our most potent antidote” (Brown, p. 538). So if we strive with conviction and passion to love God and neighbor, then we will have life within us. This is the “Ancient Mystery.” That which is on full display, but invisible to those unaware or unwilling to search for it.

In The Lost Symbol, the female protagonist says that there is something about lying on our backs staring up at the heavens that opens our minds. And in God’s Voice Within, Thibodeaux comments that Ignatius himself seemed to prefer lying flat on his back to pray. This inspired me to lie down in the chapel here. So as long as you’re vigilant enough not to fall asleep, it does allow a unique perspective for contemplating the mysteries of life.

-Dan
written 08/04/11