The Gospel for Planet Earth exists to comprehend, proclaim, and live the Gospel of Jesus as accurately as possible. In fact, as the name implies, The Gospel for Planet Earth was started because of the revelation that some fundamentals of our faith here in the West, (not least my own!) were significantly misunderstood, particularly, that the Gospel is good news for the entire creation and not just for our souls when we die. Doctrine and theology are very important to us. That being said, there is a level at which doctrine and theology make no difference to us whatsoever and there is no better time than Easter weekend to explore this truth.
I have Christian friends who are Catholic. I am not Catholic and I have serious disagreements with Catholics, nevertheless, I have Christian Catholic friends. I have friends who are non-resistance Mennonites. I am not non-resistant, nor Mennonite, yet I love to worship with them. I am not a Baptist, though I can praise Baptists for many things! But I can also critique Baptist about many things. Nevertheless, I worship with them. I am not a Presbyterian, nor a Calvinist, and yet I am a member at a Presbyterian Church! How is this possible? This is possible because of the reality of what happened on the first Easter morning. On the first Easter morning, Jesus radically and fundamentally changed the entire world! Jesus did not simply leave us with a good example of how to live, or create a new formula for how to get to God. Rather, Jesus broke the back of the power of sin, death and darkness. This is not something that can be summed up or explained in any way less than the reality of experience. People sometimes change denominations and sometimes even entire religious systems, but they remain effectually the same people. But when Jesus is revealed and worshiped, individuals and communities are changed in radical, tangible, fundamental, and sometimes inexplicable ways. But what happens is new creation! New creation is not something we can make up or perform ourselves. New creation is a new reality or it is nothing at all. The Gospel is not good advice about how to improve your spiritual life, it is good news about something that has happened whether you like it or not, believe it or not, or can articulate it or not. Theology and doctrine do not change your life in themselves, Jesus who was dead but who came to life again and is now ruling the cosmos (though He is not far from each one of us!), changes you. It is the truth that sets you free, and the truth is a person named Jesus, risen from the dead. Words fall short. You need the experience of knowing the risen Jesus. My prayer is that each of us will experience, not just an empty tomb (that could mean many different things!) but the risen, living, Jesus this Easter. Then Easter will not mean another church service, but a matter of life and death! But look at me, this is starting to sound like theology.
Comments