easter 2022 - which sins did jesus die for? (podcast)
Explore - from a different perspective - what ‘sinful’ actions led to the death of Jesus, and how those same sins may be pushing you toward a life-changing transformation as well.what ‘sinful’ actions led to the death of Jesus, and how those same sins may be pushing you toward a life-changing transformation as well.
I woke up early during Holy Week, thinking of the Easter story, and I had questions.
Namely, which of the sins in ‘Jesus died for our sins’ did Jesus die for?
Listen as I explore - from a different perspective - what ‘sinful’ actions led to the death of Jesus, and how those same sins may be pushing you toward a life-changing transformation as well.
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Easter in quarantine
It’s an odd Easter this year. But the religious season reminds me that this time is holy because it highlights a universal truth: death and life are 2 sides of the same coin.
Of the Christian holidays, Easter is my favorite.
Not only is it the most Christian - I mean the entire point of jesus being a big deal is the whole crucifixion and resurrection bit, right? - it is also the most pagan. Or at least the most syncretized.
At Easter, the themes of betrayal, sacrifice, death and rebirth play out in the foreground, while in the background, the Passover theme of being spared from plague and death by dutiful sacrifice underscores the mood and meaning of this time. Encompassing all of this is nature’s cycle of life-death-life that Spring reminds us of.... what has been silent and dark and dormant for months, is now returning to light and life.
From the Easter-Passover legends and rituals we extract the archetypal understanding that the sacrifice of a seemingly small, but not completely insignificant thing is often required for broader salvation, for the entire community to continue its existence. The Paschal lamb is a recurring symbol that embodies this notion of a demonstrable price that must be paid so that death knows it can claim nothing from those who have paid it.
It’s an odd Easter this year. Any other time, i would have already had my menu planned, my part-pagan, part-christian themed decor set up, the backyard trimmed and pretty, and a smattering of close friends with open invites to stop by as the spirit moves them. None of that will be going down this Sunday. Well, maybe not none of it. I still plan to make a nice spring-like meal for myself, but, given the current ‘plague’, the celebration will be a solitary one. I’ve got big plans to play in the dirt today, to participate in the life-bringing that the season calls for by planting new things around my backyard. There will certainly be music and plenty of light as Spring is already showing off here in Atlanta. And there will undoubtedly be sacrifice. The sacrifice of remaining in place, of giving up a little bit of my normal to help ensure that the entire community can continue its existence. It’s a small, but not insignificant price.
The religious season reminds me that this time is holy because it highlights a universal truth that extends beyond religion or denomination: death and life are 2 sides of the same coin. In celebrating one, we celebrate the other. And through our sacrifice, we ensure that life will continue for all of us... even as it transforms us and beckons us to continue our individual and collective evolution.
Happy Easter, chirren. 🙂
The Gift of the Magi - Attention Must Be Paid in 2020
The 3 wise men are a reminder that when we see a sign, we should not only sit up and take notice, but also take action.
So it’s officially the end of the Christmas season. Time to pull down the decorations, turn off the twinkling lights and live with the newfound knowledge that the spirit of God made flesh is among us and within us.
I particularly enjoy the mythology and meaning of the feast of the Epiphany, the story of the three wise kings – those men of ancient science and religion, in a time when there was little difference between the two – who saw an astrological sign that not only made them sit up and take notice, but also take action. To travel from their faraway homes to a place where they knew something significant had happened, and to make sure that they didn’t show up empty handed. To me, this story says a lot. It says that even though a thing may already be present, until it is acknowledged and honored… it doesn’t really mean anything to anyone other than those who brought it to life.
Something about that theme seems to be in line with the energy of this new year. I feel it within myself and I see it among those I’m closest to. There has been much labor, much uncertainty, much work going on over the past 12 months – most of it very personal. There have also been some serious assignments given out – tough things. Things we were not ready to accept, but had to, because the assignment itself was the readying. We were called upon to mature, to become, to fulfill the promise of the generations that came before us, to be the vessel for something new. There was little time to lament, to cry out to the universe, ‘whyyyy meeee!!?’ When God says go up to that mountain and sacrifice your son, when he says you’re pregnant and single, but I need you to have this kid, you don’t say, ‘why me’, you say, ‘ready!’
But that part is well behind us now, and the new thing is in its infancy. Through our struggle, we have brought it into being. And now… it’s time for that thing to be acknowledged and honored. Your job, of course, is not to seek out honor and acknowledgement, but to nurture this new thing, this new you. To make your star shine so fuckin’ bright that them what’s got good sense can’t help but sit up and take notice of it. It may be some time yet before the rest of the world catches on to your magic, but that matters little.
So shine, my darlings. And let those who have eyes to see bask in your glory. Just don’t get too caught up in the temptations of fame.
Because we have much yet to do.
