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April 14, 2011
Religious Rites of Spring, Part Two: Easter
Photo by Paul Howard Nicholas
The observance of Easter is a time to honor the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, the highest ranking Heavenly Messenger ever born into our world. It also presents an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the religious concept of blood sacrifice as it pertains to Jesus' mission on Earth.
And it forces those who truly wish to establish a closer relationship with Jesus to ask this simple but important question: Why do so many people refer to the day he was crucified as "Good Friday"?
Missionaries all over the world have converted millions to Christianity by employing the "Jesus died for our sins" mantra as an effective recruiting tool. In essence, these messengers teach that at one point in the evil history of mankind, God became so angry and disgusted He decided to kill every man, woman, and child on Earth.
But then, He came up with a better idea. Instead of resorting to genocide again, as He had allegedly done during the time of Noah, He would send His only begotten son to absorb the sins of the world. The son would then be subjected to persecution, torture, and a brutal death. In the course of shedding his blood, the son would act as a sacrificial offering, and God would consent to give mankind a fresh start.
It is truly unfortunate that modern, "enlightened" religions would continue to associate our Heavenly Father and Jesus with such a primitive concept. Surely it would be more logical to proclaim, as the foundation of true faith, Jesus' many great contributions to the spiritual enhancement of mankind.
Instead of focusing on the agonizing, humiliating final hours of his Earthly career, and his brutal execution by a pagan government at the height of his ministry, wouldn't it make more sense to introduce non-believers to Jesus by celebrating his achievements?
Jesus' greatest gift to human beings was not the shedding of his blood. His death, at the hands of murderers, has not changed the spiritual status of one Earthly soul.
Simply stated, Jesus' most important contribution to the betterment of mankind was not the death he died, but the life he lived while on Earth. He elevated our understanding of mankind's status in the Universe by teaching that all humans are the children of God. And he introduced the revolutionary concept of a relationship with our Heavenly Father based on love, rather than fear.
Considering that Jesus also created the first "service ministry" by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and comforting the oppressed, it is most difficult to comprehend how the untimely execution of such an extraordinary benefactor ever became known as the best thing that could have happened to the human race.
And, in light of the fact that Jesus volunteered to trade his lofty position in Heaven for a challenging mission on a dangerous, barely civilized world, it is inconceivable that any clear thinking individual would refer to the day of his death as a "Good Friday."
How would the average person react if the day a beloved family member was brutally killed became known as a "good day?" Even if the victim's heirs each received a million dollars following his death, would they ever use the word "good" in connection with his violent demise?
If we truly understand how much more Jesus could have contributed to the enlightenment of mankind had evil conspirators not cut short his sojourn on Earth, every human being should mourn his untimely departure, and pray for his promised return. The day of his "sacrificial" crucifixion should be acknowledged as one of the darkest days in human existence, instead of an event that appeased an angry God.
Jesus, himself, obviously disagreed with the practice of offering sacrifices to gain favor with God. In the twelfth chapter of Mark, he makes it unmistakably clear that honoring God above all others, and loving your neighbor as you love yourself, "is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." (Mark 12:33, KJV)
Additionally, according to several accounts in the New Testament, Jesus, in a rare display of anger, upon entering the Temple of Jerusalem, did forcefully evict, along with the moneychangers and other vendors, those who sold sacrificial doves. (Mark 11:15 KJV)
What on Earth, one might ask, could have possibly driven the Prince of Peace to such an uncharacteristic outburst of anger?
The answer is simple: First of all, the whole concept of blood sacrifice paints an inaccurate, disrespectful picture of our Father in Heaven. He is not someone that can be bargained with, bribed, or influenced by savage customs.
Furthermore, the idea that the suffering of any living creature can atone for the misdeeds of others cannot coexist with the reality of free will and personal responsibility. In other words, one person's debts can never be assumed by another in God's Kingdom, nor can the rewards reserved for one of God's children be claimed by anyone else.
While it is technically accurate to say that Jesus did die for us, his death should be compared with the battlefield death of a soldier who gives his life in service to his people, or the assassination of a crusader for justice.
The true nature of the sacrifice Jesus made for his Earthly brothers and sisters was his willingness to leave the comforts of Heaven to come and experience life as one of us. He was not required to come. But he loved us enough to make the trip himself, instead of sending a representative.
This would be similar, on a much smaller scale, to the President of the United States moving out of the White House and committing himself to living in an urban housing project without bodyguards in order to better understand the problems faced by residents, and to help them find solutions. He fully understands the enormous threat such a mission might pose to his physical, mental, and spiritual health, but his love for this particular group of constituents motivates him to forge ahead.
Viewed from this perspective, the incredible sacrifices made by Jesus on our behalf come into sharp focus.
Like most social and religious revolutionaries, however, Jesus incurred the wrath of the power elite. The rising popularity of his radical teachings about a loving, compassionate God, as opposed to a jealous, vengeful God; his willingness, as a spiritual teacher, to work for a living rather than obligate his followers to support him; and his disapproval of blood sacrifices and other pagan rituals were viewed by political and religious leaders of the day as a direct threat to their wealth and authority.
To understand the vehement opposition to Jesus' growing influence during his ministry on Earth, one need look no further than the economic implications of his teachings.
By the time Jesus stormed the Temple in Jerusalem and disrupted the operations of the moneychangers and animal vendors, the sacrificial slaughtering of animals had become a thriving business. The doves, lambs, goats, and cattle offered to God had to be without blemish according to law. So most worshippers, rather than risk the humiliation of having their sacrificial offerings rejected by the temple priests, simply purchased their animals from authorized Temple dealers.
The priests also feared that if people accepted the notion that it is possible to worship God at any time and any place, such as the outdoor settings Jesus used, financial support for the Temple and its ruling members would be substantially diminished.
Political leaders, equally obsessed with maintaining the status quo, worried over the possibility of Jesus recruiting a large enough following to remove them from power.
Jesus fully comprehended the motives of those who worked to undermine his ministry. And he accepted the probability that his enemies would resort to violence to silence him. But he continued his courageous mission undeterred, secure in the knowledge that his soul, the part of him that would return to God, would remain immune to the weapons of man.
This is an important message for all human beings: nothing built by man can destroy that which is created by God. The soul is bulletproof, bombproof, poison-proof, etc. As a matter of fact, it comes with an eternal warranty against any and every man-made weapon. The only being with the power to destroy the soul is the soul itself.
Since his death, mankind has failed to fully understand the messages Jesus brought from Heaven. After more than two thousand years since his untimely departure, the human race remains mired in spiritual stagnation. Empires have appeared and disappeared, crushed by rivals that value competition over cooperation. The only things that really seem to change regarding cultural interaction are the weapons humans use to destroy each other. They become more lethal with every passing generation.
And instead of helping man to rise above the primitive mindset of ever escalating violence, the most advanced monotheistic religions on Earth still teach that God Himself is more like a warrior than a healer, and that fear is the most important element of man's relationship with God.
At this point in our history, it truly seems that mankind has reached a point where nothing short of Devine Intervention will save us from extinction. Left to our own devices, the human race would surely self-destruct in the not too distant future.
And so, as we reflect on the annually observed rituals of Easter, we should all recognize that, until Jesus puts God's plans for the rescue of mankind into action, it is important that we start clearing away the stumbling blocks of primitive beliefs and pray for a clearer understanding of our Savior's messages about love and faith and personal accountability.
The following poem is dedicated to Jesus' departure from Earth:
Bad Friday
Weep not for the Teacher, slain by his students.
For even in the midst of the tragic,
untimely termination of his mission,
he forgave them all.
Cry your tears instead for the ears
and for the years that
would have benefited from
an extension of his tenure.
April 12, 2011
Casing California
Photo by Paul Howard Nicholas
Gamblers prayed and played their hands.
A DJ played his own song.
Children played at being adults
but they played it all wrong.
Dreamers played the horses.
An actor played a king.
Rockers played a few loud chords.
Jazzmen played the whole thing.
A jokester played an audience.
An angler played a shark.
Golfers played beneath a midday sun.
Lovers played in the dark.
A beggar played it by ear
while the con man played to win.
And those who played it safe simply paid
the portly piper and followed the play again.
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