Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Emergent Village

Home
Progressive Christian
The Jesus I Need — An Easter Reflection

The Jesus I Need — An Easter Reflection

Last updated on: March 12, 2015 at 8:42 am by Marg Herder

The Jesus I Need — An Easter Reflection 2015-03-12T08:42:49-05:00 Marg Herder

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Painting of Cross over Church In the Passion narratives I’ve never been that interested in what comes after the crucifixion. I know that some say the whole ball of wax hinges on the stories of Jesus as the resurrected Christ.

They say it’s all one thing, the suffering, shaming, crucifixion, resurrection, and later appearances. You can’t lose the end parts without changing the meaning of the whole thing.

And that’s my point.

When I look at it, all I see is a beautifully complicated presentation of how to accomplish authentic communion with God being dumbed down into a fairy tale in which a blood sacrifice proves to be the only and necessary path to redemption. It feels to me like an exaltation of violence.

Of course we want to make the nullification of death the point. Because we as a species have been fixated on finding some way around death for a very long time.

Of course we want to find some way around the fact that politics and privilege killed Jesus. We want to find some way to make the story transcend that utterly ordinary scenario. Who cares about another visionary who so terrifies those in power that they resort to murder? That’s a movie, not a basis for a religion.

So, I don’t know, it just sounds ridiculously predictable, that something with some sizzle got tagged on the end of Jesus’s life to sell it. What better to settle on than an ending that soothes everyone’s greatest fear, and gives our grasping egos assurance of our permanence and importance?

I understand that many people will say it’s not Christianity without the resurrection and all that goes along with it. And that’s okay, I’m happy to surrender the word to those who insist. I’ve had my troubles with it for a long time.

But I’m not going to surrender my Jesus.

Because everything that comes before the empty tomb? That’s what I’m interested in. That’s what I find remarkable and compelling. A man walking around in Patriarchy Central talking about radical acceptance, non-violence, love of neighbor, and deeply undercutting the exchange paradigm. Someone courageous enough to say what needs to be said even though it will certainly antagonize those in power to a point well beyond dangerous. I’m interested in a guy who calls God “Abba.” I’m interested in a man who will walk calmly toward a horrible death to remain true to his vision of what God wants from his life.

That’s what interests me. That’s what gets under my skin and makes me furrow my brow and shake my head. That’s what gives me hope and scares the hell out of me.

It’s just not that interesting to think there was a being here, utterly different from me and you, who could stir things up, say and do profound things, pissing people off in the process, and rise from the dead after he was murdered.

But it is life-changing that The Word became flesh, flesh like our flesh, and walked around here just like we are doing, and found a way to be courageous and outrageous while facing the same limitations of body and mind that we face.

I don’t need a Jesus who knew everything that was going to happen to him. I need a Jesus who can teach me how to move confidently into the face of an utterly unknown future.

I don’t need a Jesus who is on the cross knowing that he’s going to be walking around on the earth unmolested, healed, and free in a couple days. I need a Jesus who knows only one moment of suffering after another, to teach me how to abide the panic of my own.

I don’t need a Jesus who sings me songs of triumph over death.

I need a Jesus who sings me melancholy spirituals about courageously facing the suffering of life.

I am wading deep waters tryin’ to get home.
Lord, I am wading deep waters tryin’ to get home.
I am wading deep waters, wading deep waters,
Wading deep waters trying to get home…

– Spiritual

Unfamiliar with the spiritual “Wading Deep Waters”? Check out Crooked Still’s excellent rendition available on iTunes.

Previous Post

March 11, 2015

Sway- a poem for your March Day

Next Post

March 12, 2015 Revolution, Evolution or Good Disagreement?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Addiction Advent Atheism Authority Bible Cartoons Christian Year Christmas church church planting Civil Rights Community Contemplative Spirituality Culture emerging church Empire Eschatology Evangelism Events Gender Healing Humanism Islam Justice Kingdom Lent Movement Building Multi-Faith Music mysticism New Wave Emergence origins Personal Poetry politics Prayer Preaching Privilege Racism Religious naturalism Resurrection salvation SKEPTIMERGENT Theology Trauma Uncategorized

Select a Month December 2017 November 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which Christian observance celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Ash Wednesday Pentecost Epiphany Ascension