"Easter isn't about belief in the literal words of an old fairy tale"

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From Glynn Cardy's blog:

At Easter time in church there is a lot of make-believe language. A dead Jesus coming back to life, stones being rolled away, bursting out of hell’s prison, victory over death…

This old familiar language, like a fairy tale, is the container, the shell of Easter. But it isn’t its contents.

The content of Easter is the belief that Christians hold that love is stronger than hate, and hope is stronger than despair. Love and hope is seen in the changes in people’s lives.

Easter isn’t about believing in the literal words of an old fairy tale. It’s about seeing lives changed, joining that movement that wants to colour the world in love and joy.
If this, or something like it, were preached in the churches that I attended, I'd feel a little less alienated from mainline Protestant Christianity.

8 comments:

Jan said...

I so agree with you! Thanks.

JP said...

If this were preached in the churches, how could it still be labeled "Christianity"? Atleast in the traditional/orthodox way. Folks can believe what they wish but taking something and remolding it, sort of takes away from the intent or original meaning?

As a non-Christian, I read this and shake my head wondering why someone would still label themselves a christian when what christianity has always taught is stripped away.

Could you clarify my possible mis-interpretation?

JP said...

..I truely entertained this thought process and was deeply influenced by the likes of Borg and Spong. Like I heard often and what eventually came true, this line of thinking is the next step to non-belief. For me it was the last ditch effort to hold onto the faith.

Mystical Seeker said...

Thanks, Jan.

JP,

Well, Glynn Cardy, whose blog I quoted from is a priest in the New Zealand Anglican church, so actually this is preached in at least one Christian church. :)

It's my opinion that what Glynn Cardy is saying is closer to the original meaning of Easter as it was experienced by those first disciples after Jesus died, and that the literalization of Christian mythology came later.

To me, the word Christianity is bigger than any single dogma or anyone who tries to claim for themselves the right to decide hwo is and is not a Christian.

OneSmallStep said...

I wonder if you'd be as frustrated with this if you truly were a very, very small minority? Such as out of every 10,000 people, only 10 take it as a metaphor or story.

However, given the reaction to many of the Progressive Christians, and given that there seem to be a lot of people in orthodoxy who don't take all the creeds literally, maybe your frustration is also on behalf of them, and how many people are ignored. It's like there's this huge blanket cast over this gaping hole, so we can all pretend that there is no hole.

Mystical Seeker said...

Onesmallstep, you make an excellent point. If it weren't for people like Marcus Borg, the TCPC and various other progressive Christians, my expectations would be much, much lower. But the fact that I do encounter forms of progressive Christianity that I can relate to sets my expectations higher, which sets me up for greater disappointment.

JP said...

How does on come to the conclusion that the truth of christianity is found in story and metaphor and not something that is factual?

Clearly if there is a God, He/She could do anything (miracles, resurrection, virgin birth). How did you come to this approach?

Mystical Seeker said...

Clearly if there is a God, He/She could do anything (miracles, resurrection, virgin birth)

Why do you say that? I don't believe in omnipotence as a Divine attribute.