The view from the cross

On the cross, Jesus (the Christ) shows us what the love of humanity looks like.

It is not, as Marxist philosopher Slavoj Žižek would have it:
'The Christ showing us what the hatred of one's father looks like.'

And yet in the same breath it is, of course, almost exactly that because it shows God's hatred of the sinful condition, the condition of sin itself - but not the one in whom sin resides. Žižek is almost there for he finds almost all the right words but gets 'one's' and 'The' confused and when this error is corrected provides us with something of extreme value and worth.

For it is The Father's hatred (of sin and its effect) that brings Jesus to that place (the cross) and yes, there is in the crucifixion a satisfaction, some remedy, to be found with regard to the separation and detestation of God towards sin. (Something which we might perhaps contend that the cross does indeed satisfy.)

That Jesus is separated from the Father is without doubt for He has taken upon Himself, and become for us, sin itself in the most unacceptable and unapproachable of manners. And we, in accepting this and His one atoning act, become as one with the Father - no longer abhorrent or separated from Him (The Father) but one with Him.

The act of Jesus on the cross transposes me (you) with Him and in this we don't find rejection of the Son but recognition of His sacrificing of Himself and in doing so experiencing that separation that was ours first hand. The final words of desolation as the distance between God and sin become so obvious and, as God experiences what it is like to lose Himself in its (sin's) noise and no longer hear Himself love, make the cross an even more terrible place than perhaps I have ever imagined. The intellectual knowledge of our separation from our position becomes made real in the God made man, experiential and awful.

Listening to some pontificating over the words from a Christian song, 'til on the cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied,' I found myself wondering about their words: Their protestations that 'God is love - not anger'.

Through them I found myself returning to the thought that although God is indeed love, He must be also able to hate; for if God can only 'do' love then His love is hollow and (sorry God) worthless!

I hear some (spluttering on their morning brew and splurging fragments of toast everywhere) protest with, 'But God is love!' Yes He is, but only because He chooses to be! For God's love to have any meaning then that love has to be a choice made between love and hate - and as God experiences anger (wrath) He too experiences (and is) peace and joy.  After all, in John 3.16 we learn that God becomes man to redeem the world and offer eternal life, reconciliation to Himself, through the offering of Himself - learning at the end of that same chapter (John 3.36):

'Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.'

God's wrath is not aimed on them but at them. 'What's the difference?' I hear some mutter, 'They are still in God's crosshairs!' And yes they are - because the satisfaction of that wrath, the remedy that is the cross, has not been applied - even though it be but a fingertip away. It's like an oncologist aiming a beam of radiation at a person with the intention of missing them and hitting the cancer; a sniper taking out the person with the RPG and missing the child nearby (God doesn't use drones and neither should we -a subject for another day perhaps?).

There is no collateral damage with God - only accurate. precision, sniping!

And that execution of God's wrath and the destruction of sin is found in the cross - where God shows us what  His love of humanity (and of Himself in the Son) looks like and what it does.

Accept Jesus, the Christ, and the life He gave to give and taking up the cross (and all that means)  and the wrath is removed, recognition of the precision tactics that are the cross in the battle again the one who is the father of all lies and condemnation.

simples innit?

Blue Sky Thought - God and Hate

I think this is perhaps one of the truest and most obvious (and obviously ignored) provocative thought there can be. I tire of those who are content to have a god that is made in their own image and struggle with the so many obviously self-made 'religions'. (yes I know . .  thanks you Fil ;-) )

Enjoy:

Some Blue Sky Thinking

Which I rather like as a challenge to people of all viewpoints and faiths (and non-faiths too) - No one escapes this statement and the more one considers it the more it seems to develop discussion and the odd bit of polarisation (especially when they point at you and say, 'That's what your lot do!').

Give it a try and get talking (try it on the train too perhaps!):

Showed it to someone recently and their first response was 'Let's get them!'

Still trying to find out which 'them' it was and hoping I'm not part of it!

Tried it again and was met with the response, "So . . .  What is truth then?'

As if I know, I have difficulty separating fiction and real-life at times [have to go, Noddy ands his mate has just parked outside]

:-)

Seeing God as man and God in mere mortals

I was extremely taken up by the readings in the communion service this morning for in one people were in the presence of God and yet saw a mere man whilst in the other we had men and were invited to see God.

Let's unwrap this by starting with the Gospel passage first (Luke 4. 14 - 22):

"Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’ 
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down.
The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him.
He began by saying to them,
‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’ 

All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. ‘Isn’t this Joseph’s son?’ they asked.

So here we are, imagine the scenario before us for what we have is God's people (the Jews, the 'chosen' ones, call them what you will) and there, in their very midst is God made man - Jesus! And they not only missed it; but very soon after (if we were to read on from vv23 - 40 ) we find that it wasn't long before they were not only up in arms over Him and His words but were heading for a cliff to throw Him off!

Yes indeedy - God was in their midst and they missed Him!

Now compare this with the New Testament reading from 1 John (4.19 - 5.4):

"We love because he first loved us.
Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
And he has given us this command:
anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.

This is how we know that we love the children of God:
by loving God and carrying out his commands.

In fact, this is love for God:
to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the wo rld, even our faith."

We love because he first loved us, or for those of you out there who think it's  only 'theology' when it has proper 'theological' words, 'the ethical imperative is based upon the soteriological indicative!'  
(Now we can all relax and consider what I'm writing to be proper!)

What this passage tells is that we only need to look at the human person before us to see the invisible God made visible and if we claim to love this invisible God - how on earth can we hate the image of him before us? How amazing that when we have mere mortals before us we can, if we look with right eyes and hearts) find the very God we love unveiled before us? How odd that the Jews in Nazareth had that same God incarnate and saw despicable (and church of the cliff-worthy) man!

The 1John passage is what the Church needs to hear, live and then, in those before them, see - it is what we are called to be: Inclusive and welcoming!

We need to work so that those who see in us the image of the invisible God made visible and we need to work to find the same in others; and this is not always an easy task for so many of us are unloveable!

So many of us are broken, flawed, disobedient, cruel, spiteful and condemnatory (I know - I've seen some of the letters that get written!) and even worse than those things listed - and yet we need to keep an eye open for the God revealed in the person before us. We need to be working to help others see the same in us and - if someone comes in to your church and reads the Isaiah 61 passage that Jesus did in our Gospel - don't panic, you'll recognise Him next time (and it won't be Him) so you can welcome them and seek the image of God in them (for they ain't God) - better still, no need to chuck him (or her) off a cliff.

Thank you for helping me see God made visible :-)