Our Muslim friends, Khaled Elabdi and Teresa Kruser, called to wish us a happy Easter.
There was a time when that might have never happened.
Growing up I was taught that Jesus was a Christian. I don’t think anyone ever said that exactly, but it was the message I heard anyway.
How could it be otherwise? After all, Easter meant all Christians would receive the gift of eternal life. In other words, we were going to heaven when we die (whatever “heaven” is).
But no one else. No Jews. No Muslims. No Hindus, Buddhists, atheists, or anyone but Christians. So as a young boy it seemed logical for me to conclude that Jesus was a Christian. How else would he be in heaven?
It took years for me to understand the Bible in a different way, not least because, as I was told, the center of Christian belief was the Cross of Jesus where he died for the sins of the world.
Then I became friends with Morris Shapiro, the rabbi friend I mentioned in my last Blog.
He was a wonderful man of God, stirring up in me questions I had been struggling with for some time. How could God be so small that Morris would be excluded from heaven because he was Jewish and not Christian?
It didn’t seem to make any sense. Turns out, it doesn’t.
For one thing, God’s forgiveness existed before Jesus was born. That is what our own Old Testament portion of the Christian Bible says again and again.
So obviously the cross didn’t make forgiveness possible.
Besides, what kind of God would require the death of a son before forgiving the rest of us? I wouldn’t do that and I’m pretty sure God is bigger and better than I am.
But what about Jesus’ death? What did it mean?
It meant that there is no limit to the extent to which sinful human beings will go to get their way. Killing an innocent man is about as far as one can go.
But then the resurrection happened. God said NO to human beings having the final word, or possessing ultimate authority.
God raised Jesus and assured the whole world that not even an unjust death, among the worst of evil’s tools, will ever finally win the day…God’s will wins…the power of love wins…good finally triumphs over evil.
I cannot prove the resurrection happened, although it has more logic to it than some people believe, but in the end it is a choice to believe in it or not.
I choose to believe it happened. I choose to believe Jesus was raised, and, thus, death will not be the final word for anyone, not for Jesus, not for Morris Shapiro, not for Khaled Elabdi and Teresa Kruse, not for me, not for you.
Easter is about the God of Creation declaring death is real, but not the end. God is the end, and the beginning.
I think it is sad that some Christians want to make that truth so small it includes only people like them instead of celebrating that in raising Jesus God sent the message that no walls, no earthly powers, no religion, and no belief can triumph or limit who God is and what God chooses to do.
That is what makes Easter Easter!
