Last night I underwent my trials for ordination at the San Francisco Presbytery, an unnecessarily scary-sounding phrase for what was really a rather collegial process. I was invited up to the podium to speak about my statement of faith (available here) and then the floor was open for questioning. The first question – according to our local tradition – was a nice, slow softball pitched exactly where I wanted it, so I could start off confidently.
“Why did you write your statement of faith in verse, rather than prose?”
To this easy pitch I was able to speak graciously about metaphor and reality and genre expectations. But the next couple of pitches were fastballs. And I want to write more about one of them now.
“Why did Jesus have to die?”
I said some semi-intelligent things last night about power dynamics and politics and the cost of opposing Empire, but today I’ve kept on muddling through my thoughts about that question, and I have realized that I strongly dislike the way it is worded. Of course, as a Godly Play teacher, telling the Christian story in many different ways, I’ve been asked by children in varying degrees of horror or bafflement, “why did they kill Jesus?” and the oft-repeated, “but why?” But none of those children have ever asked me in those words, “why did Jesus have to die?” and for that I am glad.
Some people believe that Jesus had to die a martyr’s death on the cross, because otherwise, we could never be forgiven for our sins. He had to be the perfect sacrifice to make reconciliation between a righteously wrathful God and our impossibly sinful selves. I recognize that this is a heavily traditional view and that some of us are very attached to it. But it is also highly problematic, in that it brings with it a host of guilt complexes, and in the way that it makes God seem like a bloodthirsty tyrant. So while I believe he died for our sake, I don’t believe it was in a blood-for-blood atonement.
So, why did Jesus have to die?
Because dying is human, and he was fully human.
Because he opposed Empire, and the Empire had the power to put him to death for that.
Because he was committed to peace, and refused to fight back with violence, even at the end.
Looking back with the eyes of faith we can see that he died to show us the way to true life, and to teach us not to be afraid of those who have power over our bodies but not our souls. If he hadn’t died, we never would have known the power of his resurrection. And I believe he died to demonstrate that God “becoming flesh” did not just extend to the joys and triumphs of our bodily lives, but that even through the suffering and pain, God is with us.
Have I satisfied that question, or evaded it, or simply re-worded it? If you would answer it differently, I’d love to hear from you. Thank you all for your support in this ordination process!
Blessings,
Talitha