It is not a perfect metaphor though. Unlike the plants and animals, who sit by passively or follow instinct, we humans have work to do. We are the stewards of the earth and fishers of men. Yes, we are saved by grace, but faith without work is dead. This means letting go of our natural insticts. This means dying to ourselves daily. This means carrying our own cross. Thankfully, the power of Good Friday is this: Christ let go of his desires, he carried the cross, he died for all of us. Because of his example, we can faithfully follow through whatever lies ahead.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Good Friday
For those of us in certain places in the Northern Hemisphere, Holy Week happens during springtime. I began to have a real appreciation for the metaphor of nature around me at Whitworth University where the beauty of nature burst forth after a dark and cold winter. It is a picture of how our own hearts are transformed by Christ; slowly, imperceptibly, yet steadily forward becoming something new entirely.
It is not a perfect metaphor though. Unlike the plants and animals, who sit by passively or follow instinct, we humans have work to do. We are the stewards of the earth and fishers of men. Yes, we are saved by grace, but faith without work is dead. This means letting go of our natural insticts. This means dying to ourselves daily. This means carrying our own cross. Thankfully, the power of Good Friday is this: Christ let go of his desires, he carried the cross, he died for all of us. Because of his example, we can faithfully follow through whatever lies ahead.
It is not a perfect metaphor though. Unlike the plants and animals, who sit by passively or follow instinct, we humans have work to do. We are the stewards of the earth and fishers of men. Yes, we are saved by grace, but faith without work is dead. This means letting go of our natural insticts. This means dying to ourselves daily. This means carrying our own cross. Thankfully, the power of Good Friday is this: Christ let go of his desires, he carried the cross, he died for all of us. Because of his example, we can faithfully follow through whatever lies ahead.
