In today's Gospel reading, we hear of Jesus casting out an evil spirit from a man. In today's world, we might dismiss the man's symptoms as a mental health condition, but the scriptures don't go there. The thing is, evil can present itself in many ways. Have you ever been near someone who meant you ill will? What about unclean cultural and economic forces that are bigger than an individual? Evil can present itself in many ways. Jesus has the answers.

In today's Gospel reading, Mark tells us of the fundamentals of Christian life. We like the baby Jesus, the carpenter Jesus, the forgiving Jesus, the risen Jesus... but the follow me Jesus, well, that tends to be another story. Jesus calls us to do what he does.