 oday, there are more
people attending church services in this country than on any other day of
the year. They are there to celebrate the most amazing historical
feat known to human history. The return to life of a human being,
after his well-witnessed crucified death. The stone is rolled away
from the tomb. Jesus Christ is risen today. Hallelujah!
Such are the words and sounds in the Christian world today, in fact, in
all the surrounding churches in this area and in the vast majority across
this country.
As Unitarian-Universalists in 2004AD, we take a different view, a small
minority view, one that is fundamentally rational, scientific and reality
based, rather than faith based. The scientific, rationalist mind says, “it
is not possible to awake from death. Once you are dead, you are dead. No
miracle will save any of us.” It strips this great story of its awe and
mystical power, but that is the cost, is it not, of looking with a
scientific mind? In this way of seeing, only the renewal of spring is a
miracle worth celebrating …..You can see it, touch it , smell it. It
is REAL. Look at the flowers in the sanctuary…. let’s celebrate the
spring’s renewal of life and leave the rest.
What then, does the resurrection hold for us? Nothing?
Hardly. If we look through different eyes, it holds a powerful
message for all of us gathered in this room.
First…let’s try Joseph Campbell’s eyes. And his great mind, and enormous
heart. He says:
“The misunderstanding is reading spiritual mythological symbols as
though they were references to historical events”
If we are able to release our past indoctrinations into the forced belief
in the physical resurrection of Jesus as a historical event, in other
words, and see it as a model for each of our lives….a great teaching
story, a myth for our times emerges. A myth that teaches us how to
resurrect the wounded parts of our own lives.
Campbell talks of the crucifixion:
He addresses the belief, terribly illustrated in the movie “The Passion of
Christ”, that the crucifixion should not have happened, that it was a
horrible, bad thing.
“Christ’s crucifixion, his going to the Father, the spirit, is not
something that should not have happened. It MUST happen. The hero’s
death and resurrection is a model for the casting off of the old life
and moving into the new.”
One last reflection from Campbell.
“Easter and Passover offer the perfect symbols, for they mean that we
are called to new life. This new life is not very well defined, which is
why we want to hold onto the past. The journey to this new life, a
journey we all must make, cannot be made unless we let go of the past.”
Another reflection on Easter comes from my mentor, Matthew Fox, from his
book, “The Coming of the Cosmic Christ” Here he presents “Christ” as being
a metaphor for the radical level of connection and kinship found in all
living things in the world. Interconnected web. Similar to
waken.
He mentions Otto Rank who says, “the resurrection is the greatest
revolution in human history because it invites all humans to let go of
their fear of death” which releases us into our creativity.
Fox believes too, that the resurrection is a symbolic triumph over
skepticism and cynicism. An event that creates aliveness and re-birth.
Then, he continues:
READ p.145
So, Easter through the eyes of poetry, of myth and creation spirituality.
What about you? What is Easter to you? Do you come here because you have
always come to church on Easter, because it is a nice habit pattern? Do
you come simply to welcome the renewal of the earth with celebration (as
many of our pagan forebears did-----Eastre, goddess). Or have you come to
celebrate Passover and Easter in a safe place, a place that is your spirit
home? What is Easter through your eyes?
DISCUSSION
Whatever our reasons for being here, today is a great celebration. A time
when the universe opens again and invites us to renew ourselves, along
with Mother Earth. A time when all things seem more possible. After all,
if we no longer need to fear death, transcendence of the worst parts of
ourselves is right around the corner.
It is a challenge to us as Unitarian-Universalists to keep the wonder,
magic, and awe of this time alive, to not throw the baby of wonder out
with the bathwater of superstition. We need to invite the powerful symbol
of the resurrection deep into our souls.
The tomb has been rolled away from OUR hearts.
WE have risen.
Hallelujah!! |
