Tjhe Absurdity of it All

Each year around this time we reflect and re-remind ourselves that Christian orthodoxy has at its core the belief that our God's greatest victory was bound up in His demise. His greatest act of heroism was His humiliation. How absurd.So absurd that the Romans of the 1st century could hardly take such a teaching serious. This crude depiction of a crucifix is historically the first known representation of Christ on the cross. It dates back to the late first century and comes in the form of anti-Christian graffiti. Etched into the Palatine, the chief of Rome’s seven hills, the caption reads, “Alexamenos worships his God”. The artist reveals the absurdity of this so-called
"God" named Jesus by giving him the head of an ass. You see, the Easter story really is absurd, even ridiculous. After all, what kind of king would suffer death on a cross? What sort of transcendent being would allow Himself to be beaten and spat upon and slapped and scorned by mere mortals? The way of the world screams in unison, “absurd”! Only a fool. . . only a jack-ass would willingly suffer such a fate.

But, we are called not to rely on human wisdom, but a deeper, mysterious wisdom sourced in the loving way of God himself. Drink in the rich insight of Paul's words. “For the message of Jesus is foolish to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ."For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the absurdity of what was preached to save those who believe. . ."For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the impotence of God is stronger than man’s strength. . .”

(I Corinthians 1:18, 21, 25).

This Easter let’s embrace the absurd humiliation that Jesus experienced because of love.
His love is so amazingly absurd! And He beckons me to live more a life marked with the same loving absurdity.