Editor’s note: Throughout July, we’re hosting 31 Days with St. Ignatius, a month-long celebration of Ignatian spirituality. In addition to the calendar of Ignatian articles found here, posts on dotMagis this month will explore the theme of “Finding God in the Unexpected.”
“Major Strasser has been shot. Round up the usual suspects,” spoken by Captain Renault, is one of the more memorable lines in the 1942 film, Casablanca. Of course, when thinking about finding God, the usual suspects are to be rounded up. The spiritual practices of the Mass and sacraments, the Stations of the Cross and the Rosary, lectio divina and the Sign of the Cross, the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be and other familiar prayers, as well as many other devotions, are all to be encouraged. Finding God in the unexpected, though, in some ways should also be expected, for Ignatian spirituality teaches us that God is to be found in all things. Consequently, the unexpected could be one of the usual suspects for finding God.
What comes to mind for me is from the world-famous neuroscientist, primatologist, and strident atheist Robert Sapolsky’s 2009 Stanford Class Day lecture on the uniqueness of humans. In the course of his lecture, Sapolsky takes up and considers multiple traits, i.e., the usual suspects, that are presented as uniquely human, only to dismiss them because shared in some way with other primates.
He concludes his survey by offering what he considers the trait that is “uniqueiest” to human beings. For him, only humans can recognize something as impossible and then consider it a moral imperative to bring it about. The example that he gives to clarify his meaning is the ministry of Sr. Helen Prejean. She ministers to some of the most unlovable criminals, who are on death row for unforgivable crimes. She lives out a belief that the more unforgivable the offense is, the more it has to be forgiven, and the more unlovable the person is, the more he or she has to be loved.
The fully human Jesus loved us to the end and forgave us because we knew not what we were doing. How impossible and unexpected is that?
Today in 31 Days with St. Ignatius, read Handling Setbacks by Tim Muldoon. Then share your reactions with #31DayswithIgnatius on social media.