Thank you, Mike, for your wonderful Easter Week blogs! I've been reading them every day, as well as "The Last Week." You've done a wonderful job of summarizing Borg and Crossan's message, and you’ve made some great points yourself. I agree wholeheartedly with you. And I believe I finally understand what Borg means when he says that just because something isn’t factual doesn’t mean it isn’t truth. This has been probably the most enjoyable Holy Week I’ve ever experienced, because I’ve been able to see it with new, and I believe much clearer, eyes.

Like you, I've only just discovered what (for me, at least) is really Jesus' message: who he was, why he died, and what we who are claiming to follow him should do. I think that the last chapter of the book presents us with a very real and meaningful challenge, especially in light of what is happening today in our “Empire.” Sadly, I believe that message will be lost on many Christians.

Even when I could not accept a literal interpretation of Jesus' story, and therefore really did not know what to do with it or where (or how) it fit in my life, I, too, was always oddly drawn to Jesus. Perhaps just due to a childhood of conditioning, but I suspect there was more. I wonder now if part of the awe and mystery of his story, and the undeniable attraction that it holds, is that it was indeed intended to help people of all times, though not in the way that fundamentalists have come to view it. Consider this. Even immediately after his death, his followers were already changing his words to help them understand what they were experiencing in their world and to help meet the spiritual needs of their particular communities (for example, Matthew’s Jesus as Jewish Messiah written for Jews, John's focus on Jesus as the divine, and Paul preaching to the Gentiles). And I believe we continue to interpret Jesus' message today, even though we can no longer change the words themselves. I believe that today, considering our culture and our politics, we read and interpret the words of the New Testament and develop a theology that fits our times and helps us make sense of what is happening in our world. Isn't that what Borg and Crossan have done, and admirably so, I would add?

After some reflection on this thought, I believe it is this very adaptability that is the glory of Jesus and his message. I believe that this is what God intended. That this man, who lived some 2000 years ago, was to bring a message that could be used for centuries to come, to help each generation cope with its own special needs and short-comings.

Who knows how Christians will interpret the Gospels a hundred, two hundred, or even a thousand years from now. They may look back at our interpretations and find them odd and irrelevant to their times. But if they can find their own meaning in the Gospels, even if they are not what we see today, then Jesus' resurrection will continue, and will be just as meaningful for them as it is for us today, and as it was for those who came before us. In that sense, Jesus allows each generation to experience his resurrection with him anew. What a great gift!

Vicki, thanks for your comments and for reading my blog this week. Publishing my thoughts has really enhanced my experience of Holy Week. Most people that follow my blog won't understand these posts or read the book but it has helped me and also been great to meet a few people from outside my area that are more open in terms of theology and biblical interpretation. I hope I'll hear from you again.

Excellent review and observations!

Thanks for sharing them.

I just finished leading a three-week study of "The Last Week" and found it to be very stimulating and at times controversial.

If you ever have a chance to hear Crossan in person - don't miss him!

MIKE:

I can't add much to what Vicki said above; a couple of her passages may have been channeled through me... :-) IOW, I identify totally with you all.

I was over at Andrew Perriman's OST and happened to chase his link to your Holy Week Blog and boy am I glad I did! I had placed "The Last Week" on my Amazon pre-order list, and received it shortly after it's release, in plenty of time for Holy Week. My wife and I are brand-new members of a liturgical-style community for the first time ever, and to be honest, the liturgy, which for most people I've spoken with represents the draw to this kind of community, is where we've had problems connecting -- with "Holy Week" being the latest and largest of those problems. You see, in my quest of re-visioning Jesus through the likes of Crossan, Borg, [...my absolute favorite...] Brinsmead, and others, one of the things I have become persuaded about is that this man, if nothing else is true about him, would simply abhor the idea of being "worshiped" as though he were God; and in keeping with such a humble attitude, would have equally rejected any kind of special religious feasts or days dedicated to him.

However, we're really trying to work through these liturgical problems because the theology in this community is so diverse and open-minded and free; the small groups and other communal aspects have been like manna in the wilderness.

But back to the book and your blog [...sorry for the detour...]. My plan was to do a quick read-through prior to Holy Week; and then, beginning on Palm Sunday, dedicate a slower, more thoughtful, and perhaps including my wife at least, a group effort, doing the relevant chapter each day, as sort of a daily Holy Week "walking with Jesus" kind of experience -- one which I was pretty sure I'd get more out of than the church's planned services. Well, my plan was foiled because I told our Priest about obtaining the book, and he wanted to read it. So he's had it throughout the Holy Week... :-(

But kudos to you and your sharing through this blog exactly what I wanted to accomplish myself with this book. I think it could be the beginning of a wonderful new personal tradition for me, to use "The Last Week" every year as I try and follow JBA.

Thanks again,
Tim Smith
Clinton, MS USA

Sorry, I forgot to include my ID in the comment above... My blog began as an online learning experiment last year, and I haven't yet completed the first lesson... :-)

Tim

Tim, thanks for the comments. I wish I had read the book a couple of weeks sooner so I could have organized some type of group events and actual protests for each day of holy week. Next year I will. At least this year I was able to walk through those things in my mind. Here are a couple of other things you might like.

hollywood ending

tolstoy

questions

MIKE:

Thanks for the links. Just like your Holy Week journey, I identified with "the word" you spoke.

In line with the idea you expressed in the Tolstoy entry, you might enjoy the [nine-part] series, "The Scandal of Joshua Ben Adam", by Bob Brinsmead:

http://www.quango.net/verdict

Tim

Mike, I'm reading these now (2007) a year after you wrote them. Have your perceptions changed at all in that year? I notice you speak of "God" in a way that seems different to me than what I see in your more recent posts. Or am I imagining things?

I wondered if anyone would pick up on that.

I think the word "God" is subject to the context it is used. I'm slowly working out the language to express my opinion about that word. I don't think my opinion about God has changed in that time span, but I do think the language I use is better informed. I still like the word God. Not because I think it is particularly useful, but because I am just comfortable with it. It feels good to say it because of a life of mental conditioning. I'm not sure you can ever shake that conditioning.

Without getting too deep into it, I see the word "God" as a personification for community created by the poets of Israel, just as the holy spirit is the personification of compassion and sofia is the personification of wisdom. I'm still working out the words to make sense of that word.

I'm not able to shake the need to pray as I did in these posts however I recognize that is a product of my childhood conditioning not the act of any divine being.

I'm a Bible Geek and love to study the texts in the original languages to attempt to better understand the original intent of the authors; what they really hoped to convey to their readers in their cultural context. I also believe each genre of Scripture is to be studied in light of that particular genre, culture, and time. Therefore, when I read passages on resurrection, I try to approach it accordingly. I believe the Gospel writers witnessed a literal, physical resurrection (because of the way they wrote their texts).

Bottom line: I agree with much about the physical "empire" that Jesus faced and understand some lessons that can apply to us in our day. However, it's my fear that many miss the greater meaning of this Gospel story- the meaning that surpasses all empires, all time, all cultures, all languages, and all human understanding.

If we allow the text to speak and have it transform our lives, we would not have to particularize in every situation- we would live out the Gospel message in ways that transcend our present situation and understand (in fact, this is how the Gospel has had such a lasting impact on the world for centuries). As our spiritual Lord and Savior, our politics, etc. would be totally changed: there's no need to divorce the two as Crossan does.

Remember, Christ's kingdom is not physical; it has no borders or boundaries- He reigns in the hearts of people.

I have found your posts to be very interesting. I do not agree with you on many points, however that does not discount the true Gospel message that I think you and I each seek to better understand the message of Jesus Christ.

A challenge: read Romans 8 carefully.

Blessings to you this Easter, Mike! I thank God for your heart, courage, and pursuit for understanding! Thanks for welcoming me along for the journey!