Easter, 2015
05/04/15 04:03
Sometimes a few of my colleagues will bemoan the fact that at the intersection of religion and culture, religion often seems to get run over - or at least dominated by popular culture. I don’t watch much television, and I haven’t watched any of the Bible-themed shows that have been very popular on television in the past week. That doesn’t mean that I am not influenced by popular culture. I am influenced by television even when I don’t watch it because the people I serve do watch television and the products I use are influenced by television ads. I don’t know what to make of it, but I am sure that it is no mistake that the first television ads for the presidential candidacy of Ted Cruz were aired during the television adaptation of Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugald’s book, “Killing Jesus.”
What I do know is that most people have images of Jesus and of the nature of the Christian faith that come from a widely mixed up set of sources. What people know about Christianity and what they know about Jesus come from sources such as scripture and tradition, but they also come from rumor, heresy and fiction.
Take for example the Chronicles of Narnia or the Lord of the Rings. Both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were students of Christianity. They both had a background in theology. They took the things that they knew and the values that they held and they created mythological fantasy. Their books are not based in history, not in actual events, but are products of their imaginations. Still, they incorporated into those books bits of theology and bits of Christian tradition. Now, in the 21st Century we have people who have read those fictional books and use them as their source for faith and their understanding of Christianity.
The church, the institution that once was the carrier of Christianity to the social world - the bearer of the good news to the people - is declining in its impact and is less frequently a source of the image of Christ that is portrayed in the public sphere.
This can lead to distortions of faith and of history. Despite the portrayals of actors, for example, the Romans weren’t the bad guys because they were inherently evil. The Roman Empire wasn’t opposed to Christianity just because it liked killing people. Darth Vader hadn’t yet been imagined and wasn’t the role model for Roman Centurions.
the Roman Empire was opposed to early Christianity because Christianity was so counter-cultural. Early Christians and the Jewish Community from which they arose were persecuted by Rome because they fed hungry people. They developed a social network that was extremely tight knit. They took care of one another. And the Romans found that kind of tight community to be dangerous. It wasn’t because the Romans were mean, but rather because Christian community was a threat to the Roman system.
Christianity, at its core, remains a threat to the powers that be.
I may not watch that much television, but I do read the billboards. I do keep up with the activities of other congregations in my town. I know that Easter is being celebrated with “stadium” events by large evangelical congregations that don’t even observe Lent. Churches that had no holy week services at all will be renting large venues and drawing crowds of thousands. There will be a big celebration of the victory of Christ. I’m not sure I understand all of the promotion and expense, but it is a form of Christianity that is probably more recognizable in the public eye than the practices of our congregation.
Jesus had disciples who believed that the Messiah was all about popular acclaim and victory over the people they didn’t like. They wanted Jesus to start a political revolt that would overthrow Rome. They wanted Jesus to be in charge of the temple and throw out the religious authorities.
But the story of Easter isn’t the story of Jesus reeking revenge on the powers. Jesus appears to the women coming to anoint the body and they don’t even recognize him. Jesus appears to his disciples in small groups and isolated settings and they hardly believe their eyes. Jesus doesn’t go to Pilate and say, “Got you!” He doesn’t go to Caiphas and say “Told you so!”
The resurrection didn’t come to crowds of thousands or to the centers of power and wealth. The resurrection wasn’t about overthrowing the bad guys and taking over control.
It was, as was the life of Jesus, a story of healing to the broken, food for the hungry, hope for the despairing, reaching out to those who were marginalized.
It was about changing the world through relationships. It was about caring more about service than recognition.
And it shouldn’t surprise us that not all of Jesus’ 21st Century followers agree on what it means to be a disciple. The Bible reports that the first twelve had arguments about the meaning of glory and their place in God’s kingdom. Jesus’ words of correction to James and John are important for Christians to hear in this generation: “But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes tro be come great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (MK 10:43-45)
The call of Easter is the call of service far more than it is a call to glory, or popularity, or fame. In Jesus’ eyes the ones with the biggest crowd may not be the most faithful. The names most recognized might not be the ones to follow. Jesus wasn’t about triumphalism.
It is my experience that it is very difficult to follow Jesus. The path of service seems to always lead to places where we’d rather not go. The story of disciples is more about bearing pain than becoming famous.
So, as Easter dawns once more, I realize that our journey to understand the power an meaning of Christ’s resurrection is a difficult one and that there is still much to do. When the strains of “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” have faded, that faithful will continue to sing, “Won’t you let me be your servant?”
What I do know is that most people have images of Jesus and of the nature of the Christian faith that come from a widely mixed up set of sources. What people know about Christianity and what they know about Jesus come from sources such as scripture and tradition, but they also come from rumor, heresy and fiction.
Take for example the Chronicles of Narnia or the Lord of the Rings. Both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were students of Christianity. They both had a background in theology. They took the things that they knew and the values that they held and they created mythological fantasy. Their books are not based in history, not in actual events, but are products of their imaginations. Still, they incorporated into those books bits of theology and bits of Christian tradition. Now, in the 21st Century we have people who have read those fictional books and use them as their source for faith and their understanding of Christianity.
The church, the institution that once was the carrier of Christianity to the social world - the bearer of the good news to the people - is declining in its impact and is less frequently a source of the image of Christ that is portrayed in the public sphere.
This can lead to distortions of faith and of history. Despite the portrayals of actors, for example, the Romans weren’t the bad guys because they were inherently evil. The Roman Empire wasn’t opposed to Christianity just because it liked killing people. Darth Vader hadn’t yet been imagined and wasn’t the role model for Roman Centurions.
the Roman Empire was opposed to early Christianity because Christianity was so counter-cultural. Early Christians and the Jewish Community from which they arose were persecuted by Rome because they fed hungry people. They developed a social network that was extremely tight knit. They took care of one another. And the Romans found that kind of tight community to be dangerous. It wasn’t because the Romans were mean, but rather because Christian community was a threat to the Roman system.
Christianity, at its core, remains a threat to the powers that be.
I may not watch that much television, but I do read the billboards. I do keep up with the activities of other congregations in my town. I know that Easter is being celebrated with “stadium” events by large evangelical congregations that don’t even observe Lent. Churches that had no holy week services at all will be renting large venues and drawing crowds of thousands. There will be a big celebration of the victory of Christ. I’m not sure I understand all of the promotion and expense, but it is a form of Christianity that is probably more recognizable in the public eye than the practices of our congregation.
Jesus had disciples who believed that the Messiah was all about popular acclaim and victory over the people they didn’t like. They wanted Jesus to start a political revolt that would overthrow Rome. They wanted Jesus to be in charge of the temple and throw out the religious authorities.
But the story of Easter isn’t the story of Jesus reeking revenge on the powers. Jesus appears to the women coming to anoint the body and they don’t even recognize him. Jesus appears to his disciples in small groups and isolated settings and they hardly believe their eyes. Jesus doesn’t go to Pilate and say, “Got you!” He doesn’t go to Caiphas and say “Told you so!”
The resurrection didn’t come to crowds of thousands or to the centers of power and wealth. The resurrection wasn’t about overthrowing the bad guys and taking over control.
It was, as was the life of Jesus, a story of healing to the broken, food for the hungry, hope for the despairing, reaching out to those who were marginalized.
It was about changing the world through relationships. It was about caring more about service than recognition.
And it shouldn’t surprise us that not all of Jesus’ 21st Century followers agree on what it means to be a disciple. The Bible reports that the first twelve had arguments about the meaning of glory and their place in God’s kingdom. Jesus’ words of correction to James and John are important for Christians to hear in this generation: “But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes tro be come great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (MK 10:43-45)
The call of Easter is the call of service far more than it is a call to glory, or popularity, or fame. In Jesus’ eyes the ones with the biggest crowd may not be the most faithful. The names most recognized might not be the ones to follow. Jesus wasn’t about triumphalism.
It is my experience that it is very difficult to follow Jesus. The path of service seems to always lead to places where we’d rather not go. The story of disciples is more about bearing pain than becoming famous.
So, as Easter dawns once more, I realize that our journey to understand the power an meaning of Christ’s resurrection is a difficult one and that there is still much to do. When the strains of “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” have faded, that faithful will continue to sing, “Won’t you let me be your servant?”