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Episode 14 - Conversion
Today's word is conversion.
Conversion. Yes, because the Baptist says: "Convert because the kingdom of the Heavens
is close".
Right, convert, to convert is a Latin word, convertere.
It is a Latin word which is actually more similar to the Hebrew meaning. Because convertere
means to turn together towards, no, and in Hebrew, well, the word would be TeshuvĂ ,
which is not by itself a biblical word, but derives from the verb Shuv which means to turn,
to turn around. Whereas the Greek is slightly more intellectual, because the word is Metanoia,
namely to change Mus, to change mind, to change head. Anyway, obviously the
Greek text of the Gospel uses the word Metanoia.
Right, but actually to change head means to turn one's thoughts somewhere else..
To realize something, I mean, to realize one more time that there is a presence and
behave consequently.
We think about conversion as a moral fact, namely..
Yes, normally, yes conversion has to do with the fact that we are more honest, that we pay
more taxes, that we don't drive so often with a red traffic light, that we are more polite, that we eat less
chocolate, and above all that we smoke less.
Yes.
But actually the figure, the image of conversion is that of the Baptist, what does the
Baptist do? What is the first action of the Baptist? it is that of showing that there is a presence, "Convert"
he says "Here is the lamb of God".
So he shows a presence, therefore conversion, above all,
is to recognize that there is something, to recognize a reality which is there, independently
of what we might think, or of what we might imagine. Then, in the meantime, the reform
of the customs takes place because I, by recognizing the reality that is there, I behave consequently,
obviously when I am.. It is normal, at a certain point, when we
lazily lay at home watching TV with beer and chips, we have a certain behaviour,
when a host arrives, we immediately get ourselves together and we have another...
We get dressed.. But, why do we do like this? Because we recognize a presence, we recognize that
somebody is entering the house. This is conversion, and so it is
not above all a reform of customs.
In fact John gets angry when this presence is not recognized.
In fact because the Pharisees and the Sadducees draw the attention on following the law,
even if they have two diverging interpretation of following the law, but the problem is
that they feel justified by what they do: "Don't think that
you can say inside of yourself, we have Abraham as father", isn't it? Namely, let's say, Israelites.
And the Baptist says: "I tell you that from these stones God can call forth children of Abraham"
If the problem is that of being children of Abraham and to be perfect in following the law,
then God can call forth children of Abraham in any thing. The problem is
rather to recognize that something arrives, to recognize that somebody arrives, that somebody is present,
in fact he says: "After me the one will come who is stronger than me".
Either way, also Jesus has this behaviour, regarding sin, isn't it? When for instance,
I'm thinking about the weeping over Jerusalem, he says..
That he has not recognized..
He has not recognized the Lord who has come, namely, it is not so much the fact that it is a sinner
or not a sinner, they have not understood.
They have not understood, they have not seen, they have not recognized a presence. Because sin
and moral are always consequences of faith, namely of recognizing the Christ
that is there, but the faith and hope if you like, and the charity from which derives the different behaviour
towards life. But if somebody concentrates on the fact that you have to do that and you don't have to do that,
he truly has not understood anything.