Truth is Love

1 John 1:1-2:2

This world is dominated by death.  It is evident in how plants turn to the sunlight, sometimes crowding out others.  It is evident in the speed of rabbits and the speed of foxes.  Humans are not as cut and dry.  It is not the smartest or strongest that inherently succeeds, for socialization adds more nuances to how we are affected by the shadow, the darkness, of death.  It is not all bad, as it is why we generally stop at stop signs, but it plays out through rivalry and violence, both physical and emotional.  This is done both via individuals and groups. It is the darkness.

God has no darkness at all.  Jesus went to the cross not because of death but because of the light; life not the opposite of death, but life of God totally other than life and death.  As the writer of Hebrews shares:

looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. (12:2)

It was not that he knew he would be raised, it was because of the Divine Light; life that knows no death.  Even our early martyrs would be kidding themselves if their death was not in part motivated by pride.  As those that bowed to Caesar and hid the church, were scared of death, the martyrs too were motivated by the darkness in part (just as those that kept the church going in secret were motivated in keeping the knowledge of the Light alive).  It is impossible for humans to completely leave the shadow and darkness of earthly death, yet we are called to bring the light forward. 

Light that does not require violence, for God does not require the sacrifice.  It is humans that do.  The Old Testament seems to have God wanting sacrifices, but truly it is actually the people who do.  Take Genesis 22 when Abraham is to sacrifice is only legitimate son.  God provides the ram instead.  The sacrifices are the people's ritualized way to demonstrate love to the God that saved them and provides everything for them.  Thus in Jerusalem God provides His only Son as the sacrifice  to our violence.  God only has love, so much so He gives Jesus.

This act on the cross is what creates the eighth day.  That is it finishes creation.  If we think of creation as only the beginning of time, we ignore the scriptures that say Jesus was there in the beginning.  This Christian idea of Jesus being part of creation is why Creation is completed at the resurrection, opening up the Light of the world so we know about this Light without any darkness that has taken away the sting of death.  We are still affected by the darkness but we have a way to follow to avoid rivalry, war, violence, and all the darkness, for we know of the greatest love of all, that God gave his only son into our darkness to give us light and salvation.

 

 

 

 

*Note this sermon was a review for the congregation of themes I was working on.  It was an attempt to weave together God as Ultimate Other, Love, atonement and creation.  Must admit it was preached better than written.