THE JUDAS CONTROVERSY
January 2006

The National Geographic Society is planning a documentary film and article on the long-lost "Gospel of Judas" in which the contents of this second century document will be revealed.

Irenaeus of Lyon first noted the existence of this "gospel" in 180 AD, linking it to the Gnostics, but it was later condemned by several bishops, including Epiphanius of Cyprus. The Judas gospel, of course, was not written by the betrayer of Jesus, but from its beginning raised an interesting theological argument that said that if it hadn't been for Judas, Jesus would not have been betrayed and crucified, and would probably have died of old age–and humanity would not have been saved by his death on the cross. By this line of reasoning Judas should have been canonized as a saint for making possible the salvation of the world. Somehow the idea of "St. Judas" seems heretical.

Nevertheless, the question arises as to whether one can "bless" the tragedies of life that make possible the greater good. This past year we have seen the tragedies of war and terrorism, natural disaster, famine and disease afflict hundreds of thousands of people. Should we thank God for this misery because of some possible future good? Should we sanction such contributing factors as armed intervention, global warming, and human greed because God will use our sins and failures to construct a better world? Absolutely not. That would be diabolical and perverse.

What the Judas controversy teaches us is that in spite of what we do to ourselves, God is present to take the shattered bits of our lives and rework them into a new creation. The mistakes of the past are precisely that, the results of our failure to follow God's intention for our lives and to live out the true reason for our being.

When I take the tattered calendar of the past year, complete with the smudges and erasures, the unfulfilled intentions and actions that wish I could undo, I close the book on what has happened. It's still there, recorded for eternity and nothing can change it. But I have a new calendar and its pages are clean and white and the unseen word on each page is large and promising, for each new day begins with the word, "HOPE."

The poet Omar Khayyam wrote in the Rubaiyat, "The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, moves on: nor all your piety nor wit shall lure it back to cancel half a line, nor all your tears wash out a word of it." Our focus should be on what is yet to be written on the blank pages of the new year, and consign to God's love and mercy to fashion what God wills from what is past.

May God's blessing be with you in this new year.

Dr. Harry L. Serio