THE JUDAS SYNDROME

“In personality, [Judas] was isolated. In mind, he was suspicious and vengeful. In temperament, he was surly and vindictive. Emotionally, he was loveless and unforgiving. Socially, he was unconfiding and almost wholly self-contained. In spirit, he became arrogant and selfishly ambitious. In life, he ignored those who loved him, and in death he was friendless.” [UB 193:4]

Thought Adjuster: “The above passage describes the many ‘stressors’ present in Judas’ character. Those are the psychological factors that drove him to betray the sacred cause of his calling. You could not but notice the many similarities with the anti-social behaviors exhibited by modern-day ‘homegrown terrorists’ who engage in atrocious acts of destruction.

“Personality isolation has been identified as one of the social triggers for such violent initiatives. Studies have shown that most active shooters are either single, divorced, or separated. As well, they exhibit ‘concerning behaviors,’ such as abuse, harassment, bullying, and violent propensities.

“Lacking balancing social interaction, isolated personalities may become delusional and project their suspicions and anxieties unto an imaginary reality they believe to be true. They become increasingly paranoid, viewing the world as a dangerous place. As well, for lack of loving interactions, they live in a shrunken ego-centered dimension and lose the ability to feel empathy and compassion toward others.

“After reaching a point of no return, Judas set his evil plan into motion. As well, many sociopaths intelligently plan their hostile move, often fueled by irrational grievances (the perception that they have been wronged, mistreated, discriminated against, or targeted by others), which leads them to go on a merciless vendetta against those they blame for this state of affairs.

“Judas had grown so overly critical of Jesus that he became antagonistic. Because of his arrogance, he was unable to pull the brakes by conducting a healthy introspection and got entangled in the ‘blaming game’ that is still so prevalent in your world, as witnessed in the political arena.

“Jesus’ persona was at the Antipode of Judas. He was well aware of the dangers of social isolation and wisely“did not permit [himself] to be alone for long periods.”[UB 193:3]He encouraged His disciples to trust and confide in one another to develop the mutual appreciation that promotes goodwill among men.

“You can learn from both their lives. Judas’ tragic experience can nevertheless exert a positive influence by acting as an effective deterrent—the “What-Not-To-Do”—while, in contrast, Jesus’ positive philosophy of life clearly defines the “How-To” of righteous and God-centered living.”