Easter is coming and it seems to me the enemy is pretty aware of this and has increased his oppressive attacks. So many sad, depressed, angry, frustrated, lonely, bitter people these days. I am not being critical, merely observant. I can’t be critical because I used to be dark as night till it threatened to drive away everybody I loved. The hard part is that the only way to cheer up the average sad person is to give them what they want (whatever that is) and sometimes that just ain’t gonna happen.
So Easter is coming and with it the reality of the cross comes too. What is the reality of the cross? That a man was beaten and nailed to a tree for treason? That a man died 2,000 years ago in a savage way not unlike the savage death of so many before and since? Much more –
The reality of the cross is enigma, juxtaposition and impossibility.
The reality of the cross is that there is hope in the dark.
The reality of the cross is that two timbers bound together could somehow carry the weight of all humanity past, present and future.
The reality of the cross is that every one of us died there.
The reality of the cross is not a reality without the craziness of the one pulled off it and three-days dead walking out of His tomb alive by His own Spirit and rejoining His friends for dinner and conversation.
The reality of the cross is the frightening invitation to climb on board and get your own set of nails so that you can come back by the power of one Spirit too.
The reality of the cross is that all human history is pinched to a quantum singularity at its crux because nothing can escape it’s gravity.
The reality of the cross is that instead of dragging in light it drags in darkness and blazes an arc brighter than any sun.
The reality of the cross is that it says we must die in order to live.
Our reality is sad and unfortunate because many of us are still hanging on the cross or rotting in our tombs because we refuse to be brought back to life.
Easter is coming and with it the Spirit comes in fire ready to raise us all from the ashes and make us alive.
[I realize having reread this that the sad who I am talking about may not coming away from my post all bubbling over in giddy joy…but I know from experience that isn’t always what is needed when one is sad…]
Totally a pro pos of nothing, but you need to check out this guy\’s
blog: http://grandpacaleb.com/ the link is at the top of the far left
corner. Caleb is a 93 (former? can one ever be a former) clergyman.
I thought you might find his thoughts interesting. I do.
Oh and this
The reality of the cross is the frightening invitation to climb on
board and get your own set of nails so that you can come back by the
power of one Spirit too. is gorgeous and true even to the non-theologians,
I feel bad for Caleb Shikles. I appreciate his experience and service for 68 years as a Baptist minister but it\’s clear from his own writing that even in the earliest days of his ministry life he was moving toward a place where God\’s truth was not Christ but everywhere and in every faith.
He has moved to a place where there is no such thing as an absolute and no one can be sure of anything. He writes:
"THOUGH I AM NO LONGER A "BIBLECIST"..THERE\’S TRUTHS IN ALL RELIGIONS…..JEWISH,CHRISTIAN, KORAN, UPANISHAD\’S ,YOGI WRITINGS, ETC….DEEP IN ALL THE BRAINWASHING\’S & SONGS OF MY CHILDHOOD YEARS , I NOW IN THE "EVENING" SEE THE TRUTHS OF GOD\’S LOVE…In my opinion, no one can know anything about life after death with the certainty…"
It is as though his whole life has been a movement into and toward the dark fog instead of the absolute clarity of Christ (although he proclaims Christ often). It must be a frightening thing to be 93 years old and not know what is going to happen when you die. I expect its frightening at any age. At 37 I am young still (it\’s true – stop laughing) but I recognize that although age can bring wisdom sometimes it only brings knowledge.
Caleb calls Christ his "primary window into God" – I echo Christ\’s own words and say "the ONLY way to the Father is through the Son" and "I am the way, the truth and the light – there is no other way to the Father but by me."
I recognize there\’s a fine line between arrogance and confidence and I desperately try to stay in the latter.