The bodily resurrection of Christ is the central tenant of modern Christianity. Much like the miracle of the virgin birth, I believe in the possibility of such a miracle but am not convicted of it's historical factuality. More importantly I'm not convicted of it's necessity.
I believe that the creation of the earth took place through the process of evolution for a purpose. The divine which I call God set things into motion billions of years ago with a method that provided us with perfect abilities for the plan of humanity. My personal philosophy is that He knew we needed death to appreciate life. He gave us higher order thinkng, insticts and even an inner voice to guide us. He gave us the ability to see and use these tools if we truly look for and try to understand them. So my burning question has been- if I believe He made the laws of the universe for the specific purpose of teaching us then why would He need to defy His own laws to teach us?
I decided that my truth had to let go of a literal interpration of the resurrection. I needed to look for deeper meaning from this story because I just simply can't accept that God would find it necessary to defy his own laws. But, just as I had to do with Christmas, I had to find a way to reconcile my new understanding with my feelings about my previous understanding. Does this mean that I no longer celebrate Easter as a religous holiday? I don't think so.
In The Last Week Borg and Crossman once again make the case for interpreting the gospel story of Easter as parable. The death of Jesus dying and rising again is symbolic of our own experience of laying to rest our old perceptions and having a new life in truth and enlightenment. This idea of being born again has been distorted by fundamentalist to mean something that is unique to a Christian accepting Christ as personal savior. But Jesus never said he wanted to be our personal savior. He was living an enlightened life and was offering us truth in place of misperception so we could do the same.
There is also an element of defiance in the resurrection story- a way of letting the Romans know that they may have won the day but that the Jewish people would prevail. Even in death.
That is my new truth about Easter.
What am I seeking?
The short answer is, my truth. Not the truth, MY truth.
Over the last several years I've been coming to terms with the questions and doubts I've had with the 'gospel truth' pounded into me by the fundamentalist church. I grew up an odd mix of Southern Baptist and Pentacostal- washed in the blood and afraid of fire and brimstone at the same time. I went to bible school and Sunday school and always felt like a good girl when I could tell my grandmother I'd gone to church during our weekly phone calls. I liked the people, like the fun activities and as a child the inconsistencies didn't bother me- probably because it just never occured to me to question the authority of church leaders. Also because I didn't fully comprehend them.
But now I do understand- I understand that what I believe in the deepest part of myself can't coexist with what I was taught I should believe. I realize now that when I was arranging my own transportation to church as a little girl it was about more than pleasing my grandmother. I have always been a seeker and now I'm broadening the search.
Over the last several years I've been coming to terms with the questions and doubts I've had with the 'gospel truth' pounded into me by the fundamentalist church. I grew up an odd mix of Southern Baptist and Pentacostal- washed in the blood and afraid of fire and brimstone at the same time. I went to bible school and Sunday school and always felt like a good girl when I could tell my grandmother I'd gone to church during our weekly phone calls. I liked the people, like the fun activities and as a child the inconsistencies didn't bother me- probably because it just never occured to me to question the authority of church leaders. Also because I didn't fully comprehend them.
But now I do understand- I understand that what I believe in the deepest part of myself can't coexist with what I was taught I should believe. I realize now that when I was arranging my own transportation to church as a little girl it was about more than pleasing my grandmother. I have always been a seeker and now I'm broadening the search.
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