The Crucifixion
When I was a child, and the Easter celebrations approached, I couldn't help but wonder what was so good about Good Friday? Good Friday meant a 3 hour Church service, whereupon we would reenact the Crucifixion of Christ...shouting out the words that led to His being nailed to the cross. I would yell out the words, all the while thinking that I would never have spoken them, and these people that I am pretending to be are heinous criminals...certainly not me! I didn't get it....actually I didn't get it for a very long time, and I don't know if I ever would have, if not for the trials and tribulations that I have struggled with, that slay me helpless if not for Him. Through this process I had to admit, humbly, that it would be His strength, certainly not my own, that must carry me on. The eventual begrudging acceptance of my limitations and weaknesses that He and I still discuss at length, are challenged mostly by Christians! It is quite daunting to undertake a study about mental illness as viewed by the more Fundamentalist Christian community. The message is ...that it is not God's will for us to be sick, and therefore if we suffer from an ongoing illness (particularly mental) then it is because we are not renouncing our sins, there is something in us that is holding us back from Christ's healing. Ultimately "it's our own fault" and therefore we should be discouraged rather than unconditionally accepted. I equate it to the different reactions our community has over it's congregant's when they suffer a divorce as opposed to a death in their family. The pain and grief of Death is acknowledged by flowers, cards of sympathy, aid of all kinds, however there is little to no acknowledgement of the pain and grief of a divorce...rather a palpable silence!
When I was a child, and the Easter celebrations approached, I couldn't help but wonder what was so good about Good Friday? Good Friday meant a 3 hour Church service, whereupon we would reenact the Crucifixion of Christ...shouting out the words that led to His being nailed to the cross. I would yell out the words, all the while thinking that I would never have spoken them, and these people that I am pretending to be are heinous criminals...certainly not me! I didn't get it....actually I didn't get it for a very long time, and I don't know if I ever would have, if not for the trials and tribulations that I have struggled with, that slay me helpless if not for Him. Through this process I had to admit, humbly, that it would be His strength, certainly not my own, that must carry me on. The eventual begrudging acceptance of my limitations and weaknesses that He and I still discuss at length, are challenged mostly by Christians! It is quite daunting to undertake a study about mental illness as viewed by the more Fundamentalist Christian community. The message is ...that it is not God's will for us to be sick, and therefore if we suffer from an ongoing illness (particularly mental) then it is because we are not renouncing our sins, there is something in us that is holding us back from Christ's healing. Ultimately "it's our own fault" and therefore we should be discouraged rather than unconditionally accepted. I equate it to the different reactions our community has over it's congregant's when they suffer a divorce as opposed to a death in their family. The pain and grief of Death is acknowledged by flowers, cards of sympathy, aid of all kinds, however there is little to no acknowledgement of the pain and grief of a divorce...rather a palpable silence!
The Apostle Paul wrote...
2 Corinthians 12:7 - 10 The Message
7-10Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.
Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. (2 Corinthians 12:7, The Message)
handicap /h'ændikæp/
Synonyms:
verb: hinder, hamper, impede
noun: hindrance, impediment, drawback, obstacle, encumbrance, disadvantage
handicaps plural, 3rd person present; ; handicapping present participle; ; handicapped past tense, past participle;
1.A handicap is a physical or mental disability.
◦He lost his leg when he was ten, but learnt to overcome his handicap.
2.A handicap is an event or situation that places you at a disadvantage and makes it harder for you to do something.
If today, the Apostle Paul were to come to your house to celebrate this Easter Season, would you tell him that his relationship with Christ was flawed since he didn't have sufficient faith to be healed?
The best thing about Good Friday is...Easter Sunday...and the knowledge that after all the pain and suffering...His mostly, but ours as well...we are His Children and the best is yet to come!
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2 comments:
Happy Easter Sally
In response to your queston, No jesus kmows our flaws & accepts us with all our faults , we must present our case ,& depend on His mercy .A very poor answer I am afraid , but the best Ican do . Love DAD
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