Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
Jesus wants us to be united. He wants us to be like the the disciples who pray in one accord at the coming of the Holy Spirit. We are not meant to act in isolation. We aren't splinter cells, planted in enemy territory with on ourselves on whom we can rely. God himself "is not solitude, but perfect communion" as then Pope Benedict XVI reminds us. No wonder then that we are exhorted to make "every effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (cf. Eph. 4:3). Love urges us outward. Love is not content to stay within itself. And prayer is meant to manifest our love. The main thing is a union of intention. But it is even better when we can actually be with one another and pray vocally together. We manifest this unity in a more profound and visible way.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.”
Idolatry has the opposite effect. It turns us toward things which are less than human, things incapable of relationship, and in doing so make us something less than human as well.
Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
They have mouths but do not speak,
eyes but do not see.
They have ears but do not hear,
noses but do not smell.
They have hands but do not feel,
feet but do not walk;
they produce no sound from their throats.
Their makers will be like them,
and anyone who trusts in them (cf. Psa. 115:4-8).
This is true not only of those things which we naturally think of when we think of idols. It isn't just statues in the "image of mortal man or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes." It is anything we choose at the expense of love. Entertainment is an obvious and common idol of our modern era. But there are others. Any time we don't treat others for the own sake we are making idols. Think of the times when we are more involved in what is going on in our head than in what someone is saying. This sort of idolatry can be hard to avoid. It might even be frightening to us to think of such things as idols. But today we see the blueprint for avoiding idolatry of all kinds. The "unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" is the antidote. Praying with one accord is the key. By our own power we can try to have fellowship but we may just find ourselves alone together. We experience ourselves as "strangers and sojourners" (cf. Eph. 2:19). But when we pray Jesus comes into our midst and breaks down these barriers. His Spirit unites us as "fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God."
Now we don't need to fear. The temple in Ezekiel's time is overrun with idolatry. The LORD's presence does not and cannot remain. After all, "What accord has Christ with Beliar?" (cf. 2 Cor. 6:15).
Then the glory of the LORD left the threshold of the temple
and rested upon the cherubim.
But even when the glory of the LORD rises from the earth it is only to reveal his transcendence over idols. This vision of his glory reveals him as utterly unique.
Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high,
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
Unlike idols, the LORD has no physical eyes and yet looks upon us even from the heavens. He wants us to understand that he is unique, that he cannot be one among many, and that he is not a force that can be subverted to human purposes. When we understand that he is unique we seek him with one accord. Then we find ourselves united with one another as well. We find our foreheads marked with his sign, the "Thau" of his cross.
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