We must look closely at the things that are hurting us. Moses led the people of Israel for 40 years through the wilderness. At one point in the journey they encountered a group of poisonous snakes. Many people were bitten, and some died. The people pleaded with Moses – “Ask God to help us!” And so God said to Moses, “Mount upon a staff a bronze serpent. Set this up so that all can see it. When someone gets bitten by a serpent, let them gaze upon the bronze serpent and they will live.” The serpent on a pole is the image of medicine that is still used today. God’s desire was for the people to look directly upon the thing that was killing them. Then, under God’s watchful eye, they would be healed. Similarly we need to look at both the consequences of our sin and at the temptations that cause us to sin. What are the effects of my sin? Evil is anything which kills the spirit.  There are essential attributes of life that we all need – acceptance, affirmation, and the freedom to be unique.  Sin is often the desire to control others—to discourage their capacity to think for themselves, to diminish their uniqueness. It is possible to kill the spirit without actually destroying the body. Thus we may “break” a horse, or our spouse, or even a child without harming a hair on its head. And goodness is its opposite.  Goodness is that which promotes life, liveliness, and individuality. We also must give light to the things that lead us to sin so that we might “avoid the near occasion of sin”. If you are prone to anger, you must be aware of what causes your blood to boil. If you are vulnerable to pornography, you must avoid anything that might lead you there. If your weakness is alcohol, you must avoid even the first sip. By doing these things, we avoid the poison of our own sinfulness.  But now Jesus himself will be mounted upon a pole. The crucifix will be a reminder of the sin of all the world. It will be a reminder of the long-term consequences – the poison – of our sin and that of the whole world. It will be a reminder that we must first gaze upon our own sin in order to be healed. – – – Fr. Jim