02/18/2021
This is a Trinity Cross. It speaks volumes of theology. Today much of the Western Church believes that Jesus was abandoned by God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, before he died. They believe he was punished by God for our sins, sacrificed by God to God (Penal Substitution Atonement Theory). This appeases God’s hatred and wrath of sinful mankind, then allows for the saving of some humans from eternal torment and punishment (Hell). Some believe God chooses who gets saved from Hell (Calvinism). Others believe humans have a choice to respond and cooperate with Gods invitation to be saved (Arminianism). This theology was founded about a 1000 yrs ago, by a medieval attorney become Christian theologian known today as St. Anselm. It was then made more narrow by another attorney become theologian John Calvin, 500 yrs later (Calvanism). Attorneys make sh*tty theologians. Today this theory is also called “Substitutionary Atonement”. Instead of smashing you, angry God smashed Jesus! Now he can forgive you because His need to smash somebody got satisfied. It’s also call “Satisfaction Atonement Theory”. This is the dominate theory of American Christianity. But long before that, for about a thousand years, early theologians believed God sacrificed Jesus to Satan (Ransom Atonement Theory), as a payoff for holding us as his hostages after tricking Adam and Eve. This ransom would release humanity from Satan’s grip, from the time Adam and Eve rebelled against God for all eternity. Satan agreed to the deal of Jesus being sacrificed to him. Jesus died. He descended to Hell, released all its captives (called the Harrowing of Hell) and locked the door. Empty. Then Jesus and God pulled a fast one of their own and tricked the Devil. God raises Jesus back to life. The Devil didn’t see that coming. The Devil loses all humanity to God, and God saves ALL humanity. Past, present, future! The famous modern theologian C.S. Lewis was a proponent of this atonement theory and its wonderfully captured in his allegorical fantasy “The Chronicles of Narnia”. In today’s terms the ransom bag was full of counterfeit money. The hostages are freed and the kidnapper got nothing. Early Christians believed Jesus was actually “The Savior of the World”. This theology is called “Christus Victor”. It dominates Eastern Christianity that never bought into St. Anselm’s theory in the west. The “Good News” was to hear and realize this and respond to Gods gracious love with love, not fear. Regardless if people would hear or respond, all humans would ultimately be restored by God to God. This cross symbolizes that theology. Jesus was not abandoned by the Father or Spirit. The Trinity suffered together at the hands of humanity on the cross. People, not God, murdered Jesus. And Jesus responded by praying, “Father forgive them (all), they don’t know what they are doing.” Well it’s pretty obvious to me we have a world full of humanity that doesn’t know what the hell it’s doing. And that has often included me. I find this the greatest prayer ever prayed. And God the Father did forgive, just as Jesus taught us to forgive... “Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Jesus then cleanses and purges all humanity of evil, just like he cast out demons and made people whole again as he walked amongst them. There are obviously many theories, some horrific, some wonderful. I don’t know what’s true. Nobody does. But this is my chosen understanding of God in my faith tradition. That God is love. Not just loving, but IS love. Read 1st Corinthians 13 (the famous Love chapter oft heard at weddings) out loud. Substitute “God” for “Love.” That is God revealed in my opinion. I say all this to let you know that I believe we all return to a loving God. That all of humanity will be good, safe, healed and made whole in the end. I say this because I believe you will be too! And everyone you’ve ever cared about, and yes...even those you haven’t. We will all be made right in the end, because in the end Love Wins. What was broke will be fixed, what was sick will be made well, what was lost, will be restored. Exactly as a God of love originally intended. Now that’s good news to me! But...we don’t have to wait till heaven to get fixed. We can start to fix the broken things in the world, in ourselves and each other right now! With love! Jesus said “May your (God’s) will be done ON EARTH as it is in Heaven.” So let us in love, be the repairers of what’s broken in the world. Let God’s love give you peace, strength, comfort, healing, wisdom, joy, laughter and especially love for yourself and others. Blessed Lenten season. Paul
