From “The Cross in our Context” by Douglas John Hall
Ironically, those who most complain of God’s failure to act godlike, that is, to exercise unmitigated power, are the very ones who are most affronted by any curtailment of their own freedom. They want the world to be what they want the world to be, and the only god they can abide is one whose will coincides perfectly with their own.
It is strange how we put together our own version of what God is to be. Maybe that is why the God of Grace that is thrown upon the cross does not fit for so many people. That God-on-the-cross is unlimited in power to love where so many people would really prefer a god who directs this power to some rather than all. The some are those who are able to live within a certain circle of behavior or trust in a god who is gracious in limited ways. The Crucified God is not molded to the will of the people. The Crucified God demonstrates a love that will not abandon us as we enter more fully into our humanity and the many predicaments of that journey…this God will not take away this journey and give us one of our own creations.
Connection: It would be an interesting exercise to try to identify the various gods that play into this day and when/how we use them. In the same way, it would be important to catch the moments when we are most at home with the God who is most fully revealed in Jesus.
Creator of all that is, we give you thanks for how your love continues to create an unbreakable bond with your people. Even as we go off and play with the gods of our own creating, your love continues to abide and call us home. This day, show us again the way to go home in you. Amen.
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