The Christian Story

Our story comes down to one element, from which all the other elements of our story grow. This element is resurrection. There is a reason that one third of all four Gospels tell the story of the last week of Jesus’ life. That week completely changed the way those involved understood life and the world. It created an assurance of God’s presence and God’s interaction with us. The sacrifice of Jesus followed by the resurrection of Jesus, giving up his life for us and then showing up, whole and well, made a tangible difference in the people who he called friends. The benefit we received from Jesus’ sacrifice only became evident when the reality of the resurrection captured the hearts and minds of his followers. The purpose and depth of his teaching only took hold when they felt his hands, saw his scars, realized that he was truly back with them. The example he gave of how to know God, how to follow God, and that God was more intimately present than anyone had said before, became the reality his friends lived into because they saw his smile and heard his voice again. The renewed presence of Jesus changed the world. I’ve shared before that for the first 300 years of Christianity, during the times of persecution, growth without community support, martyrdom, and challenge, the image Christians used most to express their faith wasn’t a fish or a cross; it was an empty tomb. As we move through this season of Lent, we remind ourselves, as we still our hearts, as we examine ourselves, as we worship, and pray, and confess, that we hold fast to the gift of life, life everlasting. This is where our peace originates, where our love of others finds its strength, and where our relationship with God that we call faith is founded. Blessings, Geoff