28 July 2006

More on the Church and the Cross by Douglas John Hall.

For biblical faith, death is "the enemy" (1 Corinthians 15:26) - as the Apocalypse also insists (Revelation 21:4) - "the last enemy," waiting for its final eradication by "the Lord and Giver of Life." This is why the theology of the cross must never become, or seem to harbor, a glorification of death. And this is why, when the cross has been turned into such a glorification, it is right that it should be resisted - as some feminists and others in our time have done. To the surprise of many, Jurgen Moltmann began his book on the theology of the cross with the sentence, "The cross is not and cannot be loved." With this short sentence, Moltmann writes a great question mark over all cross-inspired pietism, heroism, and sentimentality, such as one has in many much loved hymns ("In the cross of Christ I glory," "I shall cherish the old rugged cross," etc.). To such sentiments one wishes to say a qualified yes, but always with the caveat: be careful!

It is to life that we move along the way of the cross. If the cross was the end, what life would we have...what would we have to offer to the world...what would be the gift we bring with us into each new day? We are invited to live within the domain of the Lord of Life. We live already in the victory knowing that to live there means that we will not be in step with the world...and yet we love this new life so much we press on in truth and love. The cross is always an attempt to silence this life and therefore it must be in our way and it must be something through which our journey as followers of Jesus will take us. It does us not good to make the cross something sweet like those chocolate crosses (solid or hollow) that are sold from chocolatiers at Easter. It is and can never be sweet. It is death. It is the attempt to shut up the promise for life that is a gift to all. At the same time, we know that through that story of the suffering of Jesus on the cross comes the defeat of death. The defeat of the power of death that we let rule us, is the beginning of what may be the possibilities of new life yet again...today.

Connection: Living within the promise of life given and shed for us means we recognize the way of the cross that is a part of such life. And yet, today is a day to lean into that life and to be ready for what such leaning will bring our way.

You love us, O Lord, and that love brings you into the very depths of our fears and pain and sorrow. And yet, in you great love, you do not abandon us to the power of death. By the power of your Holy Spirit, we find that even as death attempts to overwhelm us you stand alongside and hold us up so that we can look beyond all things into the heart of your gracious promise for life eternal. Amen.