Mt 11:20-24 Comfortably Numb

Mt 11:20-24  Comfortably Numb

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I remember as a teenager listening to Pink Floyd but never really understanding it.  Today, it reminds me of children watching a cartoon with their parents and wondering why their parents are laughing at a certain comment.  Cartoons, like Pink Floyd’s music, were created for adults, not for kids.

If you don’t stand for something you will fall for everything.  Now I know where that saying comes from:  today’s first reading.  The Lord told Isaiah, “Take care you remain tranquil and do not fear; let not your courage fail before these two stumps of smoldering brands…They shall not stand, it shall not be!  But within sixty years and five, Ephraim shall be crushed, no longer a nation.  Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm!”

Two smoldering stumps.  When did we go wrong?  How did we get so far lost?  It all began when we started believing the scientists and activists more than the religious; when we decided to heed human advice rather than Godly advice.

Remember how computers were supposed to make life easier?  Remember how they were supposed to eliminate paper?  Remember how they were supposed to save us time?  Hahahahaha! 

Life has not become easier or less wasteful, life has become less personable: comfortably numb. 

“Take care you remain tranquil and do not fear; let not your courage fail you!”  We don’t always have to run away from difficulties.  We don’t always have to curse them out!  Trials and tribulations can make us stronger and much more responsible! 

Over the years I have grown numb.  From my seminary days of cold showers and no heat, I have grown comfortably numb.  The reason for my numbness is due to my comfortness.  When I was in the seminary, if you wanted some Q-tips you would have to write a note to the superior and the superior would deliver them to your room.  He would usually leave just two Q-tips for the week.  I learned to use them at the right time and in the most efficient way.  Nothing was wasted!  Nothing.

Today, I have a confession to make.  I have a tendency to be very wasteful.  Why?  Because I live in a home that does not belong to me; I do not have to pay for my electricity, water or maintenance.  In the morning, when I leave my home and notice the front light still on, I don’t get of my car, I don’t even fret for a moment.  Instead, I tell myself, “Oh well, I’ll turn it off later.”  The next morning, when I notice it’s still on, because I forgot to turn it off, I promise myself I will take care of it as soon as I return.  Again, I forget to do anything about it.  Why?  Because I don’t pay for it.   I’m comfortably numb.

Yesterday, I got on an online debate with a group of people who were supporting Melinda Gates' billion dollar campaign to provide over 100 million women in Africa with free contraceptives.  I read all the same stale arguments over and over again:  "The Catholic Church hates women; the Church knows nothing about family struggles or about the problems in Africa!"  I screamed, “The Church hates women?  The Church knows nothing about Africa or families???”  That was it!  I couldn’t take it anymore!


Before anyone's great-grandmother was born, the Catholic Church had missionaries, priests and nuns working with poor families in Africa.  We know a lot about Africa and the struggles that families face.  We know more about Africa than anyone's personal experience or anyone's personal advisors.

But what do American's know about families?  When did America suddenly become the expert in raising kids and protecting families???  When did we become the role model of the world?  If ten million African girls are starving to death, why are ten million American girls starving themselves to death?  What do we know about families?  What do we think we can teach others about raising children?  I’ll tell you what we can teach them:  the mistakes we have made.

Why do we want to export to other nations and other cultures our programs and policies that never worked their wonders?  Why do we want to share with others our failed ideas?

Let’s take a good look at family life in America.  1-out-of-2 marriages fail, far more than any third world nation; more of our kids take drugs than any third world country (including those that supply them); more of our kids are committing suicide than any third world nation.  We spend more money on secondary education than any third world nation and yet most of our doctors, professors, and engineers went to a secondary school in a third world country.   Why do our test scores lag behind most of the industrial world?  I will tell you why:  because we don’t honor, support and protect the family like other nations do, especially third world nations, neighborhoods and families.

We have connected contraceptives with ending poverty, ending abuse, stronger families, success, job opportunities, responsibility, and higher "living" standards. These are all BAD CONNECTIONS.

Instead, we should connect contraceptives with the reality of infidelity, male invincibility, the hyper-sexualization of woman and the obsession towards the ideal body, irresponsible behavior and an increase in STD’s, abortion, suicide and lower standards of living in all categories except material.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux once said, “Hell is full of good wishes and desires.”  Today, we say “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”.  The roads to home may change, but the roads to heaven and hell will never change.   

We say we honor and value families.  If so, then why do we only encourage poor families to limit the number of children they have, but never encourage rich families to have more?  Why is that, if we honor and value the family?  Why do most rich families have just one or two kids?  Can they not afford to send their children to the best schools around?  Can they not provide each one their personal menu and show horse?

Do we really honor and value our families or is it that we care about something else?  

I don’t think we honor and value families like the rest of the world.  Instead, I think we honor and value personal choice; more specifically, choices that make us feel comfortable…“comfortably numb.”  And to not feel guilty about it, we would like to share our numbness with the rest of the world!