This Sunday millions of Christians will raise their voices to share in the ancient Easter acclamation, "Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!"
But what if you don't believe in resurrection, or at least aren't sure? Perhaps you've been attending church for years but feel a little left out, even guilty, on Easter morning as you wonder whether Christ was really raised from the dead. Or maybe you don't often go to church but are willing to concede a "spiritual" meaning as you attend Easter service with your in-laws. Or perhaps you flat out think resurrection is fantasy, something that just couldn't happen.
If any of these conditions describes you, it turns out you're in good company, as there is a significant feature of each of the gospel stories about the first Easter morning that often gets left out of church services and sermons. Namely, when the heavenly messengers first announced the news of Jesus' resurrection, no one said, "Praise God" or "Hallelujah," let alone, "I knew it -- just like he said!" That's right -- not a single one of Jesus' disciples at first believed the report of his resurrection. In one story the women flee the tomb in terror and silence, and in another when the women do muster the courage to tell what they've seen the men dismiss their testimony as "a crazy story." In all four gospel accounts, it appears that the natural response to word of the resurrection is doubt, fear, and bewilderment.
How come?
I'd suggest two reasons. First, I suspect that the evangelists recognized that the resurrection is, quite literally, incredible -- that is, not believable. As Matt Rosano wrote earlier this week, resurrection isn't simply a claim that Jesus' body was resuscitated; it's the claim that God entered human history and created a new reality all together. Which, quite frankly, can be frightening. After all, if the dead don't stay dead, what can you count on? Resurrection, seen this way, breaks all the rules, and while most of us might admit that the old rules aren't perfect -- and sometimes are downright awful -- at least we know them. Further, resurrection inherently threatens the powers-that-be. Think about it: empires, then and now, exist by the fear that they can take away life. When one of their "victims" goes and comes back, well, the whole power-through-fear enterprise is suddenly suspect.
Second, I think we have glamorized -- and thereby misunderstood -- the nature of religious faith. While some religious leaders may thunder that perfect faith conquers all doubt, biblical authors believed that faith and doubt are actually woven closer together than we might imagine. Doubt, questions, even downright skepticism -- these aren't the opposite of faith, but an essential ingredient. Faith, after all, isn't knowledge; rather, faith is "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews: 11:1).
Writing a half-century ago, J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings and a devout Roman Catholic, conceded that resurrection seemed like a fantasy, by its very nature almost too good to be true. For that very reason, Tolkien continued, he believed it must be true, as the story we live in needs a better ending than the one we've crafted. Similarly, W.H. Auden once penned, "Nothing can save us that is possible: / We who must die demand a miracle."
So perhaps all the questions common at this time of year about whether the resurrection really happened and how, while understandable, are nevertheless a bit misplaced. Perhaps the question instead might be, "Does this ending make sense to you? Does word of God's love overcoming hate, of life conquering death, give you hope?"
Whatever your answer, know that you are welcome at the Easter feast, where confidence and mystery, faith and doubt, are mingled together. After all, if the original disciples had a hard time taking it in, I don't think there's anything wrong with a few skeptics -- and maybe more than a few! -- gathering to hear and share in the story being told. And, who knows, when the worship leader cries out, "Christ is risen!" you may be surprised by how you respond.
Blessed Easter!
PS: Here is a short video that a few friends and I put together to illustrate just how close resurrection doubt and resurrection faith can be.
"Faith" means not wanting to know what is true.
I don't think this will do much to spur new people to being faithful in Jesus however, it seems to mostly preach to the choir, so to speak. Also I never understood this strange false dichotomy you implicitly present in the video. It almost seems to say that without belief in the resurrection then 'might makes right' and 'those who have the most toys, wins'. I'm certain you never meant to say that but the video paints such a bleak picture of the world without a belief in the resurrection
Did they just forget about it all then? Christ's reappearance from the dead wasn't really a secret. Didn't word get around to the authorities that their high profile criminal had come back from the dead?
Was there no rush to find out what had happened, and maybe get the guy back and re-crucify him? I would also think that if there were such a rising from the dead, that the event would have caused such a sensation that it might have ended up in the historical record, yet there seems to be nothing at all.
Anyone have any thoughts on this?
How about dragons? Do you believe in those? Or do you understand that the human imagination is boundless and inventing such things is child's play for us?
But you believe that a man can wave his hands over another and cure his ills, though the phenomenon disappears when looked at closely. You believe that dead is not dead, though you have never witnessed anything so incredible as dead men walking. You are skeptic about so many things but in the realm of religion you become credulous.
Easter is a time of renewal, of birth, the return of the sun to a cold hemisphere. It's not surprising that the fantastic tale of a godman would be connected to the more ancient customs. What is surprising is that in the age of Mars rovers and gravitational influences at the edge of the universe, and the elusive nature of previously unknown particles we still cling to such contrived tales as Jesus the grown-ups' Santa.
Feel all better now?????
Good!!
BTW, skepticism IS the opposite of faith. I can let the doubting and questioning assertions about faith slide because even people who really want to believe this stuff have to admit, maybe deep down, that it is ridiculous. Otherwise, why get so defensive when someone calls it into question? But skepticism is antithetical to faith. Skepticism only resolves into belief when the evidence is there to support it, not because we want or need to believe in something. Faith is belief when evidence is lacking (or sometimes in the face of contrary evidence), otherwise it would be knowledge. Feel free to believe whatever you want, but when it comes to this religious mumbo-jumbo, at least be honest enough to admit that all you have to go on is faith. This is the crux of the disagreement between theists and atheists. Theists think faith is a legitimate justification, atheists realize that faith is ultimately empty.
Many christians believe that nothing will happen if they hedge their bets and theyre wrong. they forget about all the other religious groups theyve angered over the centuries/
So now....YOU make the rules that determine the exsistance of another being???
Really??
Seems to me, freethinker is exactly who this story was aimed at.
Why would you read an article that is for skeptics, and then get upset when a skeptic responds to the article meant for skeptics?
But I have a problem when we do not discuss Resurrection only talk about.
The WORD of GOD taught by Christ from the body/flesh of Jesus, resurection, mean each person by Free Will of righteousness and being Christ, the Son of GOD is resurrect TOO.
Now that being said, PARTY ON. Perferably in resurrection and not the NAME OF RESURRECTION, but what it is the experience the Living.
As Paul said: "If we died with Crist on the Cross, we live with Christ"
now I know it's all about zombie Jesus. :D
See why the workers give 100% Labor (sweat, genius) contribution for only 7% return. No wonder the rich and famous think they have the right to rent and us others. Is that not what slave owners have done forever. And I think I know why, now. Thanks
We pick up our cross and follow the WORD is nothing of what you say. It is Self Realization not the group theopy you say or seek
Did you go to a religious college?