An Easter Reflection

‘All of them deserted him and fled.’ Mark 14:50

If you have internalized that all religion is a human construct whose purpose is to make sense out for our life, then it is just a small step to saying that Christianity is then just like a Rotary or Kiwanis club. All of these might be seen a leading to an inconvenient life [a phrase I once heard applied to the Christian life] in that they ask that their adherents live a good, useful life in their communities. But what if we need to take our Christian commitment to another level?

In chapter 14 of the Gospel of Mark, we find the disciples who had been with Jesus daily, deserting him and fleeing from the garden. We find Peter, who is said to be chief among the disciples, denying that he even knew Jesus not once, but three times later that same night. And WWJD [What would Jesus Do?] as the bracelet asks today? Well, he was upset and agitated, again according to Mark. Why this behaviour? Because they were scared. And why were they scared? Because they knew that their ideals and way of life had so upset the powers that be, that they were in imminent danger of losing their lives.

I have never applied the word ‘scared’ to how I should be feeling when I heard the Easter story. Sad? Yes. From the first memory I have of hearing the story, it seemed so very unfair. Angry? Yes, at the fickleness of the crowd. Admiration? Yes, for the courage of Jesus in following his ideals. But scared? No. But according to the Easter story, that is precisely how I should be feeling. SCARED! Scared that I too might incur the wrath of the powers that be and lose my life. Scared that I might find my values and deepest held convictions put my very life at risk? Or perhaps, scared that they won’t!

In his book, The Orthodox Heretic, Peter Rollins tells the story ‘No Conviction”. In a world where following Christ is decreed to be a subversive and illegal activity, a man has been accused of being a believer, arrested, and dragged before a court. After examine the man’s record of church attendance, his speeches and his writings, he was exonerated because as the judge said: ’So, until you live as Christ and his followers did, until you challenge this system and become a thorn in our side, until you die to yourself and offer your body to the flames, until then, my friend, you are no enemy of ours.’

Romero was convicted. Martin Luther King Jr, was convicted. Gandhi was convicted. Jesus was convicted, his disciples were afraid that they would be as well. Would you be convicted? Would I?

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