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Death comes for the archbishop (and then leaves again)Thursday, April 14, 2011
John 8:51-52 Anyway, in other places and at other times Jesus says, "You must die to live." Death is a prerequisite to resurrection. ... So I'm reading through Rob Bell's book Jesus Wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto for the Church in Exile and I come across this: "A Christian is a living Eucharist (Greek for 'good gift'), allowing her body to be broken and her blood to be poured out for the healing of the world" (p. 150). As a counselor and pastor, I am part of a "first-response" system that requires me to report to the police anyone who is seriously threatening suicide. Because when someone considers suicide they are often thinking unclear thoughts about how bad the world is and how much suffering they can no longer endure and how God has forsaken them. Jesus knew how bad the world is, but he also knew how good God is, and he knew how to get them together again. Once and for all. And then there would be no death. But first, he would have to die. And the knee-jerk responders thought sure he was possessed. Jesus was not possessed, or crazy, or thinking unclear thoughts. As he said, "I drive out demons, so how can I be possessed by them? A house divided against itself cannot stand." Satan is on his last legs. And Jesus is taking them out from under him. Later Jesus says that before Abraham was, he was. But he uses a famous Hebrew name for God ("I am") to describe himself. His listeners are mostly either confused or offended. In the beginning, the word of God spoke above the face of the waters and there was light. And it was good. Jesus says he was there. The kind of death Jesus is talking about came later, after the division between God and man. Jesus was there then too. God will not allow that separation to be permanent. Jesus knows that. He knows God. He is God. And God is love. Once again, God's word brings life to the face of the waters. And it is good. If I die then I live. I want to allow you to break my body and pour out my blood for the healing of the world. Help me, Lord, to step around the hubris and drama of those words and live them out one person and one moment at a time. |
Because everyone has died. Even Abraham. Even Isaac, though not at the hands of his father Abraham. Adam, Eve, Moses, Aaron, Elijah, David, Solomon, Isaiah and Jeremiah - all dead. Like Marley, dead as doornails. There was no doubt whatsoever about that.