The Pastor’s Perspective
By the Rev. Daniel W. Bellavia
February 2008

Easter is a wondrous and exciting time of the year. Alongside Christmas, it is one of the two most important days on the Christian calendar. These holidays (or holy days) share many similarities in how they are celebrated and understood. Both are holidays that conjure up images of great joy and tradition, without necessarily focusing our attention on the implications of the work of Jesus Christ. Both bring seekers and the disenfranchised to Church for rare semi-annual appearances. Both have become national holidays with significance that now harmlessly resides outside of the original meaning of the holy days. Both are preceded by 40 day periods of reflection and preparation (Advent and Lent). Though Christmas and Easter share many things, the most important similarity that these holidays share rests within their original purpose. These two holidays attempt to focus our attention on the miraculous and salvific work of Jesus Christ. Christmas and Easter point us to Jesus, albeit in dramatically different ways.

While Christmas focuses on the incarnation of Jesus (God becomes flesh / human), Easter focuses on the resurrection of Jesus. While the Church has correctly recognized these two holy days as joyous occasions, we have not always fully understood why these days are important. With all the joy surrounding these holidays, it is both interesting and unsettling that the cross of Christ looms so large over both of these times. And while the cross of Christ may seem to be an unsettling backdrop to these joyous occasions, it is absolutely necessary if we are to properly understand them. This is because it is, in fact, the cross that is the reason for our joy.

Human beings like to separate the good and the bad with heavy lines. Americans have been incredibly adept at separating good from evil. If you grew up with western movies and television shows, you might remember that the good guys wore the white hat, while the bad guys wear black hats. Even our science fiction betrays this notion as Darth Vader is enshrouded from head to toe in black, while Luke Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi naturally wear white (from their robes to the hair which is blonde and white). We want our movies to have a happy ending, and while it may be acceptable for the hero to be wounded, it is considered bad form for the injury to be debilitating. We want our heroes to be pure and our villains to be dripping with evil. It is difficult to conceive of a world of grays, where heroes suffer. This may be why Mel Gibson has been so pilloried for his “violent” movies. While his movies are no more violent than others dealing with the same subject matter, Gibson has the audacity to present a suffering hero, be it William Wallace (Braveheart) or Jesus Christ (The Passion of the Christ).

When my brother David’s book was published, he found it very difficult to promote. Those who had so loudly supported the war and proclaimed themselves to be patriots on the side of the troops, did not want to promote a book that bluntly and boldly proclaimed the service and sacrifice of our soldiers in Iraq. They were offended by the harsh reality that he presented in the story of blood, brotherhood and sacrifice. Like the reaction to Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, even true believers at times did not have the stomach to confront the truth. It offended them because it forced them to acknowledge the life-changing trauma of war, experienced even by those who would ostensibly be determined as the victors.

The time of Lent is our time to confront the truth concerning the work of Jesus Christ. Beginning with Ash Wednesday, which is a day of reflection on human sin and mortality, and moving through the season of Lent, the Church is forced to confront the profound spiritual need of sinful humanity and the deep sacrificial love of God as experienced in the life and death of Jesus Christ.

What we find during Lent is that we cannot separate the joy from the pain. For only if we experience the crucifixion of Jesus, only if we embrace the fullness of loss expressed by the followers of Jesus, only then can we truly and thunderously proclaim the victorious exclamation, “Christ the Lord is Risen Today! Alleluia!”

This is not to say that Lent is a “down” or depressing time. In fact the opposite is true. For as Paul recognizes, “we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” The cross though scorned by many, is to us the “power and wisdom of God.” Our salvation and eternal life is contingent on the work of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary. This is why we celebrate the crucifixion of Jesus on GOOD Friday. It is good because our salvation was provided on that day, provided fully when Jesus gave up His spirit after uttering, “it is completed.” The work of salvation was completed at that moment. Easter Sunday, while not necessary to provide our salvation, was God’s exclamation point to humanity. As Peter proclaimed at Pentecost, the fact that “God has raised this Jesus to life,” stated clearly and decisively that “this man whom you crucified is both Lord and Christ!”

Christmas and Easter, though they get the big promotional budgets, must be celebrated with the recognition of what goes on around them. To truly celebrate theses days one must remember them in context. Christmas and Easter provide the framework from which we can access the truths of the gospel. They provide the philosophical assertion of the identity of this Jesus of Nazareth, whom we call Christ. Between the twin events of incarnation and resurrection we find the meat of the gospel. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, knowing that humanity could not live in accordance to God’s will, became our once and for all sacrifice so that we might find forgiveness for our sins. The sacrificial work of Jesus Christ, His suffering and death on the Cross of Calvary, makes it possible for sinful humanity (you and me) to enter into communion and fellowship with God.

The events of the birth and resurrection of Jesus are good news, but they are not the good news of the gospel. The good news of the gospel is a blessed event that wears a black hat. The good news of the gospel is that Jesus Christ has suffered the death that we deserve and has restored the relationship between humanity and God.

Join us in Celebrating a Holy Lent This Year!
Rev. Daniel W. Bellavia