Rising Again and Again
Topic: Power
Whenever my husband Ron sees a challenge coming, something that might entail some sort of suffering for a stand that he wishes to take, I"ve frequently seen him find the courage through saying: "I figure you can only be crucified once, and I've already been crucified." He is correct so far as being emotionally crucified and spiritually decimated by the status quo camps of the institutional church. Like so many others we've seen in the last twenty years, people much too afraid of being crucified by sexual predators and their friends to hold them all accountable.
Yesterday I added a sentence to Ron's well-stated thought. "However, you can RISE again and again!"
The message of the crucifixion is multi-faceted. Some interpret it much different than others. To me, it represents REAL sacrifices that can only be made by people seeking to reach toward a greater maturity, very unlike what I hear many saying they are "giving up for Lent." Sometimes they are sacrifices that I find difficult, though they are for the greater good.
As always when Easter approaches, I consider that it's more important to focus on the meaning of resurrection. That's really what the season is most about to me. It is, by recognizing the power within me that has, at times, allowed me to overcome many obstacles and to walk where "angels fear to tread" by choice. When I forget about that power, that's when I take the "safer" road sometimes instead of the wiser one. That's when I fail to focus on possibilities, averting my eyes, and being blinded by the things I fear.
When I focus on the resurrection, I find the courage to sort out what sacrifices are REALLY required for the greater good--mine and everyone else's.
Posted by Dee Ann Miller
at 12:01 AM CDT