I walked to the first station. Jesus is condemned to die. An image of Pilate washing his hands as Jesus looks on.
I walk to the second station. Jesus carries the cross. An image of the cross laid upon Jesus, his legs buckle under its weight.
I walk to the third station. Jesus falls the first time. An image of Jesus on the ground, the cross to much for him the carry.
I walk to the fourth station. Jesus meets his mother. An image of the Mother Mary holding her son as he walks toward his execution.
I walk to the fifth station. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross. An image of an unexpecting forced to carry the cross of a criminal.
I walk to the sixth station. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus. An image of a woman cleaning the beaten and bloody face of Jesus.
I walk to the the seventh station. Jesus falls a second time. Another image of Christ on the ground. And this is where I stop.
"Jesus keeps falling," I think.
For some reason the image of Christ falling on his way to Golgotha stays with me.
As I think back on my life over the past six months I feel that I have solidarity with Christ as he falls on the way to his death. He falls over and over again.
Six months ago I went through a spiritual awakening. I accepted my call to be more engaged in the world around me. You can find that journey outlined in my post entitled, 'The Rich American Challenge'. As I traveled into the needs of the world around me, something else happened. I drew nearer to God.
I developed a habit of daily prayer. I engaged in the practice of silent prayer known as Centering Prayer. Through my spiritual development, I helped the poor and the needy. I learned, too. I learned I also needed a new heart, one that loved others deeply. One that died to patterns of hatred, anger, and malice.
As I journeyed, I fell, and I continue to do so. Over and again. Dying is falling. Down, down, down down. But we must descend.
We must journey to the cross with Christ, because in that place, we all die at the hands of the evil, hate, violence, apathy and slavery.
As I've walked to my death, I've been resurrected. My attitudes of hate towards other people have died. And believe me there are people that I hate. I crucify myself with Christ to those attitudes. But I am resurrected. I love those who I have found myself unable to love. I do good to those who I couldn't bear to do good to. I pray for my enemies.
As I've journeyed to my death I have died to my own apathy. I am an introvert of the highest caliber. But as I've crucified my apathy it has produced and attitude of care and concern for others in my everyday life. No longer am I ok with my own self indulgence. I am resurrected.
What I've learned is not just that we care about justice, or theology or whatever it might be, but the attitude and the heart with which we care about those things. Marcus Borg says, "we can believe all the right things and still be a jerk." I would amend that to say, "we could also do all the right things and still be a jerk."
It is as Paul says we could speak with all eloquence and angelic ecstasy, but if we don't have love we are just a gong. We are just noisiness, which is of no use to God's kingdom if we have not a heart of love.
The Eastern Orthodox Christians have something called theosis, which is process whereby we become divine. We become divine through the in breaking of the heart of God into our own hearts. Our essence never changes, but our hearts and souls and whole being becomes wrapped up and absorbed into the reflection of God's image. We all need this.
Resurrection makes this possible.
For those who are not part of a liturgical church you may not know this but the season of Easter lasts for 50 days, from Easter Sunday until Pentecost. We are on a journey with Christ in his resurrection. We are dying to our old ways and becoming a new resurrected creation in Christ Jesus.
How will Easter be real in your life?
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