Easter Reflections

From Palm Sunday through Easter we are confronted with a great mystery: Earth hurls at God all of its fury in the form of power politics, military might, and death, we throw a bit of cowardice and betrayal into the mix, and God overcomes it all in power. The great mystery is that God exercises God’s power not in force, but in love.

On Palm Sunday and Good Friday we are reminded, most graphically, that we Christians believe in a Crucified God, not a crucifying god. Between the two there is a world of difference. Too often we forget.

Of course, we could never think of the Crucifixion as manifesting God’s power and glory if not for the Resurrection. The Crucifixion and Resurrection must always be held together. The Cross of Christ shows us the lengths God will go to in order to save us. The Cross of Christ shows us God’s desire to save; the Resurrection shows us God’s power to save.

God’s love is powerful enough to overcome any hatred, any sin, any earthly power or force, even death.

If we Christians are to be truly the Body of the Risen Christ on earth in our own generation, then we must avoid the temptation to worship the idol of a crucifying god and we must be willing to walk the way of the Crucified God.