There's something about "rising" that makes me stop and wonder. The sun rising over the horizon, a monarch butterfly rising out of its chrysalis, a loaf of bread rising in the oven. There's this whiff of otherworldliness to the act of rising that I just can't seem to put my finger on. Its almost as if it this process of rising is not meant to happen. That somehow it just doesn't fit in this world. Contrary to what my dear wife claims (and exclaims), I am not a pessimist. I consider myself, for lack of a better phrase, a critical realist. And my experience (short as it may be) weaves a narrative of this world, this mortal coil, as the bard puts it, winding down.. drowning.. imploding on itself. The Psalmist was right when he said that thousands fall on one side, only to be worsened by tens of thousands falling on the other. In the midst of so much falling, is my analysis of "rising" being odd, peculiar and downright ridiculous that far-stretched? I mean, even the third law of thermodynamics states that things eventually move to a state of disorder. On a side-note, this law by the way is why I discourage cleaning the house - which is technically not the elimination of dirt (matter can neither be created nor destroyed), but merely a redistribution of it. Do you really want to go against a fundamental law of physics? Just ask people who disobey gravity.
I find it amazing that ON THE VERY NIGHT he knew he was going to be betrayed, Jesus washed his disciples' feet. That as those thoughts of betrayal were fermenting, he served them. And as he was doing this, he told them he loved them, giving them a mandate to love others in the same way - knowing full well, that the end was nigh. If I was new to this stuff and didn't know how the story ended, I would worship this guy right there. I would worship him and make him my mentor - right there. But then, two days later he confuses the hell out of me. He rises from the dead. Yea, he did say it before, but I just thought that was "exalted prose". But no, he actually rose. Of all the claims of the evangelist, this is probably the most scandalous. It is so scandalous that its got the ring of truth to it. If Aslan had to be killed according to the deep magic of the land, then him coming back to life was based on a magic deeper still.
In Christ, God's love and holiness collide. In Christ, the either/or categorization is destroyed forever and gives way to what can only be described as God's Holy Love.
On Good Friday I could worship him as my mentor, but on Easter, I worship him as my Lord and Savior.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
I find it amazing that ON THE VERY NIGHT he knew he was going to be betrayed, Jesus washed his disciples' feet. That as those thoughts of betrayal were fermenting, he served them. And as he was doing this, he told them he loved them, giving them a mandate to love others in the same way - knowing full well, that the end was nigh. If I was new to this stuff and didn't know how the story ended, I would worship this guy right there. I would worship him and make him my mentor - right there. But then, two days later he confuses the hell out of me. He rises from the dead. Yea, he did say it before, but I just thought that was "exalted prose". But no, he actually rose. Of all the claims of the evangelist, this is probably the most scandalous. It is so scandalous that its got the ring of truth to it. If Aslan had to be killed according to the deep magic of the land, then him coming back to life was based on a magic deeper still.
In Christ, God's love and holiness collide. In Christ, the either/or categorization is destroyed forever and gives way to what can only be described as God's Holy Love.
On Good Friday I could worship him as my mentor, but on Easter, I worship him as my Lord and Savior.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
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