RBWords

     In English, we use the word "world" in many ways.  I did a quick look in a dictionary and it listed twelve different usages!  The ambiguity of the word seems to be an ancient phenomenon because the Gospel of John reflects more than one meaning as well.  Most of us would be familiar with the lines, "God so loved the WORLD...." [John 3:16] and "I am the light of the WORLD." [8:12].   There, the meaning is more positive.   In the Farewell Discourse, the meaning of the word shifts to a more adversarial connotation.  More than likely the shift was due to the living situation of the church at the time of the composition of the gospel.  The community was experiencing persecution and rejection by the Jewish community of the time.  So the whole "tone" is like the English expression, "It's you and me against the world!"  Here the "world" is more negative and almost evil not because Jews are evil but because Satan is influencing the persecution and rejection.  

     Here we experience in the "collage" a familiar theme in the Gospel of John:  dualism!  Light/darkness, above/below, us/them - these dualisms frame the outlook of the gospel and the Farewell Discourse is no exception.  Our own thinking is influenced by dualism:  secular/faith, good/evil, soul/body, Church/State.  In today's gospel scripture, Jesus is warning the disciples that they can expect opposition and persecution for their belief in him.  That opposition is called "the world."  Perhaps we might benefit from reflecting on how we would interpret "world" in the light of our own faith.  AMEN