How many of you have heard the song, Let It Go, from the hit movie Frozen? (Good! It’s been playing in my head all week!)
Let It Go topped the billboards for weeks in 2014 as millions of young people and their parents alike sang along to the catchy song … and millions still do!
Perhaps it’s such a big hit because there is something inside all of us that WE need to let go of.
As Queen Elsa sang from the mountaintops in Frozen:
“The snow glows white on the mountain tonight, not a footprint to be seen. A kingdom of isolation, and it looks like I’m the Queen…Don’t let them in, don’t let them see; conceal, don’t feel, don’t let them know….
…Well now they know, let it go! Let it go! Can’t hold it back anymore! Let it go!
On the surface, it seemed like Elsa had everything – beauty, a palace, and magical powers – but inside she was filled with sadness and fear. She needed to let these emotions go!
***
In today’s Gospel there is a man who is a bit like Queen Elsa; there is something inside of him that he needs to let go of. It’s an evil spirit, a demon that keeps him from living a peaceful life.
The spirit controls him, making him act in strange ways. It even cries out from inside of him, saying:
“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth! Have you come to destroy us?”
Surely everyone who saw this was terrified. This poor man needs to let this evil spirit go, but only Jesus can free him! …
And he does. Jesus reveals his power over evil by commanding the spirit, “Silence! Come out!”
Instantly, the man is free.
***
Like Queen Elsa in Frozen, or this man in today’s Gospel, what do we need to let go of? Where do we need Jesus to say, “Silence! Come out!”
Is it an addiction to social media, our reliance upon the opinions of others, a grudge that we’ve nursed for too long, a sour relationship, the fear of being rejected, the fear of being alone, jealousy of others, our quest for perfection, or a pesky sin that never goes away?
What is it that we need to let go of?
***
Sometimes these inner struggles can seem stronger than we are; they can take over our minds, keeping us from being at peace. But the Gospel teaches to give these burdens to Jesus. He has the power to heal us, to make us stronger, to set us free.
The key is to trust him. We have to believe that Jesus can say to those negative thoughts and feelings inside of us, “Silence! Come out!” … And they will leave us.
We may want that change to happen instantly like the man in today’s Gospel, but often such change takes time. Healing is a slow, gradual process that requires constant prayer and trust.
But Jesus will free us, if we let him.
In fact, Lent may be the perfect time for us to work on letting go of whatever is holding us back from being completely at peace. Identify the burden, give it to Jesus. Let him do the healing.
Then will we be able sing with Elsa, Let it go! Let it go! Can’t hold it back anymore!