Get ready to fight!

So it's Ash Wednesday again, and boy are my arms tired. Wait, that's the wrong joke. 

Am I ready for Lent? No. Usually I like to pick a project, like reading all the Pslams, but I haven't managed to do that. Well, maybe I'll think of something today. I do kind of have a theme. 

Last Sunday's readings included the Beatitudes, especially the part about turning the other cheek, and our pastor went bananas on it. I mean that in a good way -- inspiring. He shared stories of forgiveness of people who had suffered more than I ever will, and how freeing forgiveness was to the forgivers. 

That got me thinking. Any Christian will tell you that the Evil One, the Bad Guy, is always seeking our collective and individual ruin. Sometimes you have to be ready to literally fight when circumstances call for it. And sometimes you have to figuratively fight, which can be a lot harder. 

I grew up reading comic books, as you undoubtedly know, and at the heart of comics, fighting evil comes down to one thing: Punching someone. 

Again, don't get me wrong: Sometimes nothing less than Clobberin' Time will do. But there are reasons Jesus didn't come into this world to tell us to find God's enemies and slug them. 

Let's face it -- we can't outsmart the devil, or overpower him, or trick him, or probably even beat him at a violin playing contest. 

Maybe the Blessed Mother can punch him in the
face, as in this 13th century image, but we can't.

The only way we can beat him is to do what Jesus told us. Help others. Forgive our enemies. Correct those in error. Love God. Avoid sin. Sacrifice our own desires. Think of ourselves less. 

I know, I know. Punching is a lot easier. That's why we have a 40-day period of exercising our spirirs. We don't have a 40-day period where we do a training montage and come out throwing fists.