thoughts on the news of the day: devils

hmmm…..

            Looks like the devil is back -- in a famous fresco painted by Giotto in the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy.  The fresco was painted in the 13th century and  is one of several by the artist that depict the life and works of St. Francis. This one shows him in heaven with the angels.  Only thing is … if you look very closely, in the clouds is a veiled devilish figure with horns and a sly smile.  Perhaps Giotto was trying to make a statement or maybe he was playing a trick on someone he knew by depicting them as a devil hidden in clouds.

            Sometimes evil is not hard to spot.  We see it in heinous violence, corporate greed, junior high school students bullying a classmate.  I have once or twice seen Evil face to face; it is not pleasant.  I was not a red devil with horns and pitchfork, but in the behavior and actions of others.

            We don’t like to talk about it, but the devil hides in many places.  It hides in the calmest of folks when they get riled up because of misinformation.  Rumors and gossip do devilish work when they distort the truth.  I think in the Bible it says that the devil is a thief and a liar.  And we all become little devils when we steal someone’s honor or respect; or when we pass on gossip as truth.  Often times we don’t even know we are doing it; the deception is so seemingly benign.

            Let’s look in ancient paintings for hidden depictions of devils; but let’s look in our own behavior for hidden ways in which we too are not always angels.

            hmmm…..