Exodus 17:8-13 tells the story of the Israelites at war against Amalek. The passage begins thus: "At Rephidim, Amalek came and waged war against Israel" (Ex. 17:8). In the same way, the negative emotions we are beset with sometimes come upon us aggressively and without warning. Something unexpected suddenly happens, and we are beset with a deluge of negative emotions. The passage continues: "Moses, therefore, said to Joshua, 'Pick out certain men, and tomorrow go out and engage Amalek in battle. I will be standing on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand" (Ibid.v9). For us, the first step in the war against negative emotions, Descartes' first of three steps in dealing with them, is consciousness. We have to be vigilant and circumspect. Again, the word, circumspect, is cool to understand by way of etymology. It is from the Latin circumspectare. It means clearly seeing all the things that stand around us (that compass us about like bees and blaze like thorn fires - ring a bell? I thought it might). "So Joshua did as Moses told him: he engaged Amalek in battle after Moses had climbed to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur" (Ibid.v10).
"As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight, but when he let his hands rest, Amalek had the better of the fight" (Ex. 17:11). In our own lives, as long as we stay vigilant and circumspect with regard to the negative emotions that beset us, we will be able to challenge and subdue them. When our vigilance and circumspection wane, however, the negative emotions creep up further on us and attempt to destroy us. In this regard, the Bible tells us: "Be always vigilant, because your enemy [the evil spirits] are always on patrol, searching like ravenous lions for whom to destroy completely" (1 Pet. 5:8). And these are the evil spirits that carry negative emotions with them. The passage from Exodus proceeds thus: "Moses' hands however grew tired; so they put a rock in place for him to sit on. Meanwhile, Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, so that his hands remained steady till sunset" (Ex. 17:12). In the same way, we cannot fight the war against negative emotions all by ourselves. We need one another. Even though we are armed with Descartes' three-step method and our concept of sacrifices, and prayers, we need the support of a faith community as well.
Let us take Moses' raised left hand to represent Descartes' three-step method, and Moses' raised right hand to represent our concept of sacrifices, and his vigilance over the battle itself as prayer. We see that, in spite of all this, Moses needed the help of Aaron and Hur to hold up his hands and keep him able to remain vigilant (by sitting him down on the rock to conserve his strength) and so keep up the fight. Similarly, we derive encouragement from friends, family, and a praying community in our battle against negative emotions. Our family, friends and the praying community, like Aaron and Hur, will help us to keep our hands raised in battle against negative emotions. When the circumstances in our lives become overwhelming and it seems like not even prayer and our intellectual arsenal can hold us up, the help and encouragement of the people in our lives will serve to keep us going. It is after all a communal battle. Hebrews 10:25 says in this regard: "Do not forsake the assembly of one another together, as the manner of some is; but exhort one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."
Seek out a believing community. Join support groups, and benefit from the support and encouragement of like minds. An army is not made up of an individual soldier. The passage from Exodus continued: "And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword" (Ex. 17:13). In the same way, helped by the encouraging prayers of the believing community and our own efforts, we can master and vanquish the negative emotions that life throws our way courtesy of evil spirits. This victory in any case comes about through vigilance, intellectual dexterity and sacrifices. And of course with the help of a believing community to support and encourage us in our battle against pesky emotions. Let us bless the Lord, and praise him all our days. Amen.
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