What victory was that, Lord? You said You nailed the powers to the cross; You said You came to destroy the devil’s works; You said death was defeated, the powers and authorities of darkness disarmed and ‘made a spectacle’…You said decisive triumph was Yours - are we talking different terms?
Why does my weeping come like the rain and why does life cut like a knife? My family is torn apart like a grenade lobbed into my home; sorrow fills the air, all humid from the tears). Evil chews up the world and scatters destruction/despair like cluster bombs. I am still young and I didn’t want to be familiar with (and part of!) deep anguish and brokenness (the kind which makes me accuse You, “Don’t tell me You couldn’t do ANYTHING about it!”). What victory was that?
Still, mine eyes have seen the coming of Thy glory, my heart has felt the beating of Your own; my weak knees and tired hands know the quiet empowerment which just like FLOWS when I trust You, Lord…there is so much color and radiance in the way You work (if I affirm the pain I must affirm this too!)…and You make me sob with joy – the epilogue is always good even though the story was of tragedy and a crazy painful ride.
Why, something like Your own story…
There was – is! – something in the universe, some strange rule You must follow, some rule Your heart set for itself…something to do with the kind of love You longed for, the kind of intimacy of who You are… the Most Moved Mover…because You wanted this, the world is thus; because You wanted this kind of love, our hearts must be created like flowers, firm with a presence but so vulnerable to the world and each other. You gave us power to love and said, “Love!”, but we – so obsessed with ‘autonomy’ - we made ourselves evil, didn’t we? We were meant to shoot at hate and evil but we went berserk and filled the world with friendly fire – we targeted You and each other, we became anti-love. We polluted Your garden with the stench of distrust and self-exalting…and You grieved over us; You wept over the chaos in the land…Your Word even tells us You regretted creating…
But You came down! Christus Victor You came down! You parachuted into enemy territory and flexed Your muscles – how? By being born in the most humble of places, growing, learning, struggling with a family in a revolution-ready land. You promised and embodied an alternative kingdom (one ‘not of this world’), You brought the outcasts back home, You healed not only their bodies but their souls and included them back into Your people. For You are a God of new community, a God of forgiveness, of inclusion, of hope in the midst of exile…
You did this for Your people; You did what Israel was called to do but could not for they messed up big time. So You had to be Israel’s representative and do her task, fulfil her vocation and ALSO take the full force of the penalty due her for her crimes, her evil. You warned them against fighting Rome with swords, against challenging the enemy with the enemy’s weapons…You begged to differ because Your kingdom belongs to the poor, the meek, the peacemakers…these are whom You long to call sons of God…
You died in Israel’s place so the new Israel - us?! - would be the light of, and to, the world which the old failed to become; You drew the evil upon Yourself like some magnet of grace, holding it there, killing it with Your love.
I don’t know what happened at Calvary, Lord; still trying to understand. Your apostles tell me that Your ‘Cross-Work’ involved:
So D-Day has already come, now You want us to keep fighting until V-Day. Your victory is one with Your brand new covenant with us. Now You send us forth, the church militant - Mobile Infantry mops up.
You take delight in the little acts of kindness, love and simple ‘Jesus-ness’ we perform.
You applaud when money is NOT the ‘decisive’/‘primary’ factor in our lives, and we don’t waste away worrying about it.
You rejoice when we refuse gratification through using others as sex objects but seek to restore in them the temple of God (bringing back worship and reverence).
You feel pride when we use our authority to heal, encourage and build up and when we do so by Your means and Your ways, NOT the world’s!
You dance when we trust You with our lives and so are more able to enrich that of others, to teach them, feed them, strengthen them.
You listen with patience and wisdom when we bring our memorial offerings of needs, questions and groanings unto You - You love it when we do that.
And You erupt with that unique Triune pleasure when we, like Your Son, brighten the world with grace, loving the unlovable, bearing with the unbearable, and resisting – just one more time! – the urge to condemn and label ‘unworthy-of-God’s-love!’ those we despise.
You win when Your kingdom is realised in our actions and when we proclaim Your lordship over EVERYTHING, for is not the ‘Gospel of Jesus Christ’ the message that ‘Jesus is Lord of All’?
This is what it’s all about: when my eyes are unveiled, I will begin to see Your triumph…Your strange and awesome victory effected by the Cross and the Empty Tomb.
Then life is more bearable, more worth living, more joy-producing. You are more victorious than I can ever imagine…and Your love is more than enough for me.
This is dedicated to my mother and father
His love never lets you go