Easter 2014
Kathleen Norris, in her book “The
Cloister Walk” talks briefly about being treated for cancer using radiation.
She recounts how toward the end of the multiple treatments, she would return
home and put her feet in a bucket of ice to try to cool her body down.
My field education supervisor
mentioned something similar, about his own experience being treated for another
kind of cancer. He said that late into the treatment regime, he found that he
would walk from his hospital room, leaning against the wall, because he had no
strength left to walk unaided to the treatment room.
Radiation therapy is strong
medicine. In fact, with all of the advances in cancer treatment, doctors are
reticent to use it quite as much these days—but it is still used. The irony, of
course, with radiation therapy is that it utilizes radiation—which literally
does what radiation does; it destroys. Only in the case of radiation therapy,
it destroys cancer cells. All the same, something destructive is used as a
therapeutic curative.
The Resurrection is like this. After
all, we know that before Jesus could be raised again, he first had to die. And
so, in this powerful act of self-giving, Jesus breaks the power of the grave,
and precedes us in the resurrection promised to all of us. The crucifixion,
then, is strong medicine. Because not only was the crucifixion of Jesus the
curative for eternal death, but it was also the therapy for all violence,
suffering and injustice in the world. The trouble is that we’ve found ourselves
struggling to understand this for the past 20 centuries…
In fact, the Early Fathers of the
Church when trying to understand the necessity and meaning of the crucifixion,
struggled to articulate their conclusions…After all, it’s not enough just to
say that Jesus died and rose again, so it’s all okay. Jesus’ death was brutal,
and let’s face it, sadistic; especially if this was done simply to appease some
angry blood thirsty god.
One aspect of the crucifixion is
that because it is at the center of our faith tradition, it disallows us to
ignore the pain and suffering of the world. If nothing else, what the
crucifixion does is reminds us that the crucifixion itself is not over. In this
act, Jesus hallows suffering, and brings it into the center of all of our
lives, and dares us to hope for resurrection.
However, it was also the
understanding of the Early Fathers that by his act of full self-giving, Jesus
undermined the system of victim and victimizer. So, by laying down his life
willingly, Jesus took away the power that the authorities had to kill him; and
thereby he destroyed the system.
We might recall from John’s Gospel,
that wonderful discussion about the Good Shepherd. Here Jesus adds that no one
takes his life away from him, but he lays it down willingly—and that he has the
power to take it back up again…
The effects of this act, then,
according to the Early Fathers, is like a slow working medicine. So that as
this medicine is allowed to take full effect, we, as the Body—the Church, and
all of Creation—are made ever-better.
Now, of course, this is a very nice
idea; and who couldn’t agree that we need to be better. But, the troubling fact
is that we know from experience that the world is still violent; it’s still
corrupt; there are still victims and vicitimizers. So, we might wonder if the
medicine of the Cross has actually taken any effect at all…
However, if we end there, and give
into a fatalist attitude, we miss the bigger picture. Because where this strong
medicine of the Cross has taken effect, if we have allowed it, is in the hearts
of those who are willing to receive it. So, for those who have allowed the love
of Christ to affect them, to change them—for these, the curative has already
begun. And the evidence of this healing activity is that we love God, and love
one another, and then change the world.
Of course, this is the case for
anyone who chooses the way of love, whether they’ve chosen the Way of Christ or
not. Because what the healing work of God, through Jesus Christ looks like is a
world which is changed in heart and mind—something that is never quickly
accomplished. As for those of us who have chosen the Way of Christ; We’re
called to be people who are empowered to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly
before our God.
But this, of course, is not work
for those who are merely captivated by the resurrection; it is instead the
imperative for those who have experienced the life giving power of the strong
medicine of the Cross.
Christos Anesti!
Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated!
Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down!
Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is Risen, and life is liberated!
Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down!
Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is Risen, and life is liberated!
Therefore, we ought to find it impossible to live in the
same old way.
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