My Easter Experience
Mythologist Joseph Campbell talked many times about giving oneself over to the sacred stories in order to experience the reality of them. I think that many times those of us who consider ourselves followers of a faith tend to go through the motions, rather than allow ourselves to become really engrossed in the sacred. I know that is true of myself at times. Such immersion in the sacred can be uncomfortably illuminating or even painful. Ultimately, however, this discomfort and pain lead to spiritual growth.
For Christians, this time of year is the holiest of all. This is where what we experience in our faith can be felt in full force. This past week I decided to give myself over to the experience of Holy Week. From Palm Sunday on, I decided to be mindful of the events leading up to Easter. Furthermore, I decided to keep them in my heart, to experience them as if they were happening today.
Thursday was particularly powerful. For the first time in my life that I can remember I woke up with a strong sense of spiritual awareness from the outset. The first though that entered my mind was "tonight the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners" . Powerful stuff to wake up to. I'd began to realize just how fully that I'd given myself over to the story of Jesus' last week of human life. The experience reached a peak of sorts on Thursday night as I attended the Tenebre (Darkening) service at my church. The service followed the story of Jesus from the Last Supper to his burial. By the end of the service the entire church was dark and all signs of life were stripped from the altar. The pastor said, "It is finished" as he slammed his Bible shut, asking us to leave in silence and to contemplate our lives now that the one we had followed was no longer with us. Talk about immersion in the experience! I slept fitfully that night and experienced some unease on Good Friday as well. I really could feel the existential angst of living a life without hope and in spiritual despair. I found it to be a frightening contemplation.
This morning, I attended the Sunrise service at church. This represented the resurrection of Christ from the grave, the new reality that Christians experience in him. Whether you take the resurrection as real or metaphorical, it is powerful. Many spiritual leaders have died violently. Most of their followers have either joined other movements or just kept up the work. The followers of Jesus claimed more. They claimed the experience of Jesus as a continuing living presence in their lives. Those of us who follow Jesus can fill that presence still today.
I can't speak for other Christians. I wouldn't try. I do know this. What Jesus spoke of was a world where people took care of each other, healed each other, and loved each other without condition or reservation. It is a world where the greatest become servants of those in need. It is a world where we all sacrifice ourselves for each other by giving our all to each other without reservation. Hate and war are things of the past. It is a world where we have taken what he called "the Kingdom of God" that dwells within us and have made it a reality upon the earth. This is why he was here. This is his message. He died because of that message.
The sad thing is that we see much of the same thing happening today that was happening in Jesus' day. The powers that be are foisting their will upon the helpless and the church is more interested in maintaining its own interests and its own waning power than in truth and justice. If those who follow Jesus, who are called by his name, would continue to carry his message the world would be changing more rapidly that we could imagine. The price for carrying the message is not a cheap one. Martin Luther King, Jr proved that. Mohandas K. Ghandi (who, though Hindu, followed many of Jesus' teachings) proved that.
People get so wrapped up in trying to "convert" people to believe in Christ as salvation after death that they miss his point completely. Salvation comes to the individual one bit of enlightenment at a time. Salvation comes to the world one act at a time, following up on that enlightenment.
Some people believe that Jesus died to atone for original sin. I believe that he died willing to save his people from their sins, not by paying a debt owed, but because he died as he lived, with integrity, with truth, and with righteousness. In following through on his message even through to the grave, he showed us the way to live the life that our Creator envisioned. It is up to us to follow though, to bring the "kingdom of God" to fruition. Early Christians called themselves "Followers of the Way" . It is a term that I prefer, and one that I think is truer to Jesus' intent.
It is for this reason that I call Jesus Lord and Savior. He showed me how to live and to live more abundantly. I have peace and love in my heart no matter the circumstance. I am more content than ever, while yearning to be the change that I want to see in the world. I can tell someone what I feel and how I've changed, but each person has to go through this themselves. Salvation is not a one time act. It is a journey. It is not just meant for the individual, but for the world.
For Christians, this time of year is the holiest of all. This is where what we experience in our faith can be felt in full force. This past week I decided to give myself over to the experience of Holy Week. From Palm Sunday on, I decided to be mindful of the events leading up to Easter. Furthermore, I decided to keep them in my heart, to experience them as if they were happening today.
Thursday was particularly powerful. For the first time in my life that I can remember I woke up with a strong sense of spiritual awareness from the outset. The first though that entered my mind was "tonight the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners" . Powerful stuff to wake up to. I'd began to realize just how fully that I'd given myself over to the story of Jesus' last week of human life. The experience reached a peak of sorts on Thursday night as I attended the Tenebre (Darkening) service at my church. The service followed the story of Jesus from the Last Supper to his burial. By the end of the service the entire church was dark and all signs of life were stripped from the altar. The pastor said, "It is finished" as he slammed his Bible shut, asking us to leave in silence and to contemplate our lives now that the one we had followed was no longer with us. Talk about immersion in the experience! I slept fitfully that night and experienced some unease on Good Friday as well. I really could feel the existential angst of living a life without hope and in spiritual despair. I found it to be a frightening contemplation.
This morning, I attended the Sunrise service at church. This represented the resurrection of Christ from the grave, the new reality that Christians experience in him. Whether you take the resurrection as real or metaphorical, it is powerful. Many spiritual leaders have died violently. Most of their followers have either joined other movements or just kept up the work. The followers of Jesus claimed more. They claimed the experience of Jesus as a continuing living presence in their lives. Those of us who follow Jesus can fill that presence still today.
I can't speak for other Christians. I wouldn't try. I do know this. What Jesus spoke of was a world where people took care of each other, healed each other, and loved each other without condition or reservation. It is a world where the greatest become servants of those in need. It is a world where we all sacrifice ourselves for each other by giving our all to each other without reservation. Hate and war are things of the past. It is a world where we have taken what he called "the Kingdom of God" that dwells within us and have made it a reality upon the earth. This is why he was here. This is his message. He died because of that message.
The sad thing is that we see much of the same thing happening today that was happening in Jesus' day. The powers that be are foisting their will upon the helpless and the church is more interested in maintaining its own interests and its own waning power than in truth and justice. If those who follow Jesus, who are called by his name, would continue to carry his message the world would be changing more rapidly that we could imagine. The price for carrying the message is not a cheap one. Martin Luther King, Jr proved that. Mohandas K. Ghandi (who, though Hindu, followed many of Jesus' teachings) proved that.
People get so wrapped up in trying to "convert" people to believe in Christ as salvation after death that they miss his point completely. Salvation comes to the individual one bit of enlightenment at a time. Salvation comes to the world one act at a time, following up on that enlightenment.
Some people believe that Jesus died to atone for original sin. I believe that he died willing to save his people from their sins, not by paying a debt owed, but because he died as he lived, with integrity, with truth, and with righteousness. In following through on his message even through to the grave, he showed us the way to live the life that our Creator envisioned. It is up to us to follow though, to bring the "kingdom of God" to fruition. Early Christians called themselves "Followers of the Way" . It is a term that I prefer, and one that I think is truer to Jesus' intent.
It is for this reason that I call Jesus Lord and Savior. He showed me how to live and to live more abundantly. I have peace and love in my heart no matter the circumstance. I am more content than ever, while yearning to be the change that I want to see in the world. I can tell someone what I feel and how I've changed, but each person has to go through this themselves. Salvation is not a one time act. It is a journey. It is not just meant for the individual, but for the world.