One of the great Gospel songs I’ve very much enjoyed singing on Easter Sunday mornings in my Cleveland-church experience is the loud, dynamic, rhythmic and just-plain-joyful fun anthem, “He Got Up!” With this past Holy Week, I’ve been reminded of it several times as Easter approached.
And while the “Great Gettin’ Up” of the anthem proclaims Jesus’ rising and getting out of the tomb, the message is also the marvelous, universal affirmation of the power of God to lift up a life, no matter what condition or mess that life may be in, and making it better. It is a jumping- up-and-down-for-joy song, lifting a great truth about God’s power…to help.
With this Holy Week, though, (as well as with yesterday’s Easter celebration) I’ve also been sickly reminded that the great-getting-up message of Easter has been, and continues to be, terribly misunderstood, preached and believed.
The great-getting-up message that should be giving hope and “joy to the world” (we need a little Christmas, too) is interpreted to be a message that says, “Since Jesus is ‘Number One’ in the world of religion, nothing else, including other faith expressions, and no one else… counts.”
Interesting. And very sad.
There cannot be a more misguided belief than the theological nonsense which teaches and preaches that, because Jesus got up in a singular rising, there is a heavenly cause for putting down all others who do not lift up the name of Jesus as their divine example.
The historical record of judgmental put-downs of religions, races, ethnicities and cultures by arrogant, nasty “Jesus mis-understanders” is a strong, single reason for continual penance by disciples still seeking to be faithful to the true Gospel.
The spiritual result of affirming the getting-up moment of Jesus ought…ought to result in a life lived out in humility…and servanthood, not the present-day teaching/preaching of “entitlement.” God raised God’s son from the dead; because of that rising, one chooses to believe in Jesus’ way of life of servanthood, love, justice, humility, and sacrifice. Believing in Jesus’ resurrection does not mean, “Thank God I’m saved. Too bad a person who does not believe, and believe like me – is not.”
The very sad and tragic truth is that the resurrection of Jesus continues to be – for far too many – a license for religious, theological and, in some cases, national pride. Such pride goes before a great fall. Such pride is a great sin against God and God’s love for all of the Creator’s children.
The message of the resurrection of Jesus is not that those who follow in Jesus’ way of love, justice and life are “Number One.” Rather, Jesus’ resurrection is heavenly confirmation that the way of love requires us to be First Responders against the virus of hate in all its many forms.
And we DO this by donning the uniform of inclusivity, and by GETTING UP… in great ways each and every day… to honor ALL God’s children.