A Jesus who dies without killing, who lives with our dying, our dealings with this deadly world; not with some numbed, dulled diversion vested in churchly restraint, left in a box, dusted, shown off for a few holy days of a year, framed suitably.
A Jesus licentiously liberating! Leading from inside, locked side, out!
Trusting no defense, no pretense, no self-righteous pontification.
A Jesus who's guilty -- Blasphemy! Treason! -- guilty as charged!
Guilty as Hell he is raising, is rescuing, down, down, down to this day.
Down through the tomb's inward arch
He has shouldered out into Limbo
to gather them, dazed, from heartless slumber:
the merciful dead, the prophets,
the innocents just His own age and those
unnumbered others waiting here,
unaware, in an endless void He is ending . . .
That done. there must take place that struggle
no human presumes to picture:
living, dying, descending to rescue the just
from shadow, were lesser travails
than this: to break
through earth and stone of the faithless world
back to the cold sepulcher, tearstained
stifling shroud: to break from them
back into breath and heartbeat, and walk
the world again, closed into days and weeks again,
wounds of his anguish open, and Spirit
streaming through every cell of flesh
so that if mortal sight could bear
to perceive it, it would be seen
His mortal flesh was lit fro within, now,
and aching for home. He must return,
first, in divine patience, and know
hunger again, and
give to humble friends the joy
of giving Him food -- fish and a honeycomb.
(Denise Levertov)
Unpictured reportings, underground rumblings, trembling tribulations --
No cherished assignment, no gimme, no slam dunk, no easy sell!
* * * * *
Of course word was out about "The Third Day," extra troops ordered from and by Pilate; deep-sighings, head-shakings, as soldiers do; dead-weightings of those duped, deluding: more violence ends wars -- much less resurrections!
Death only guarantees death: "War is always about this betrayal . . .
young by old, idealists by cynics, finally soldiers by politicians.
Those who pay price, however, crumpled up and thrown away.
We do not see them. We do not hear them. They are doomed,
like wandering spirits . . ." (Chris Hedges)
Who breaks Caesar's Seal breaks Caesar.
Breaking with Law, breaking with Past, with everything been and believed;
breaking with bread, breaking with body, breaking out, breaking open,
breaking often, Easter the mending of One "Gone for Broke!"
Reaching to Friday, Jesus up "saving us." Launching from Sunday, we up
"saving Jesus!" Keeping Jesus alive in everyday loves, against interests in
keeping him dead; always-anointing, love breaking fears, long before
tombs empty, Jesus appears.
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