“You Fool!”: A Lenten Challenge
March 14, 2025
Katie Davis-Crowder
On their brilliant podcast, Jacqueline Novak and Kate Berlant, two of my favorite comedians, describe their joke style as “hyperbole at all costs.” Today’s gospel from Matthew seems to be similarly inspired. Angry with your brother? Judgement! Still haven’t made up with him? Off to prison! My favorite line? “Whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.” Uh oh. The evangelist uses extreme language to capture an urgent message that I’ve needed to learn and relearn, seemingly with every trip around the liturgical calendar.
Followers of Jesus’ Way will never be freed by simply obeying The Rules. I’m certainly not homicidal, but do my petty comments and quick judgments clog my heart? Yes, I show up to the altar with my sacrifices, but do I bring my little resentments with me too? However attuned I might be to Love, am I conscious of the small, but powerful missteps I take toward snark and away from magnanimity?
This Lent, may we become more conscious of the words, reactions, and grudges that hold us captive. From the inside out, may we follow The Way, participating in the liberation of ourselves and one another.
Katie Davis-Crowder is an Ignatian-trained educator and spiritual director, a singer and writer, and a presenter and retreat facilitator in Chicago. Passionate about the intersections of spirituality, social justice, and the arts, she holds an MDiv from Loyola Chicago and a BMus in musical theatre from Catholic U. Katie loves exploring nature and building home with her partner Kevin, toddler Harrison, and rescue pup Smartie. katiedaviscrowder.com
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