This month at Discipleship and the Book of Faith, the discussion was around the meaning of the cross. The cross stands at the very center of our faith and its meaning has been explored down through the centuries. The truth is that our explanations, while interesting and helpful, always seem to fall short. C. S. Lewis put it well when he wrote in Do Souls Go to Heaven,
We are told that Christ was killed for us, that His death has washed out our sins, and that by dying He disabled death itself. That is the formula. That is Christianity. That is what has to be believed. And theories we build up as to how Christ’s death did all this are, in my view, quite secondary: mere plans or diagrams to be left alone if they do not help us, and, even if they do help us, not to be confused with the thing itself.
For myself, the cross overwhelms me. The image is so powerful that I do not preach on Good Friday, but simply retell the story. What can I add? The cross is the ultimate statement of our denial of God. We literally “cross” God out. We say “No” in the most brutal and direct means possible. We nail God’s son to a cross, raise him from the ground, and let him die amidst ridicule and threats. We say “No,” but God in the most extraordinary and gracious way says “Yes” to us. Jesus offers words of forgiveness from the cross itself. “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Easter and the Resurrection are God’s confirmation of that grace poured out upon us. The cross is the sign of God’s suffering love that will not let us go even though holding on to us costs Jesus his life.
In the living of my life, the image stands before me. No matter what I do that rejects and/or turns away from God, the cross is a constant reminder of God’s faithfulness and love of me. God will not turn away from me no matter how I say “No,” no matter what the cost. I am overwhelmed and humbled by such love. My life has been shaped and changed by that love and continues to be impacted. I have been marked with the cross of Christ forever.
In writing this article, we stand on the other side of Easter. On Sunday, we gathered again in worship to remember the events of Holy Week. We retold the story. We celebrated the power of the cross and victory of the empty tomb. Now, we go out into the world as witnesses to that cross and to the wonder of God’s grace.
Peace,
Pastor Summer
No comments:
Post a Comment