The Rocks and Stones Themselves Would Start to Sing

It's Holy Week. So what does that mean? Christ vs. the Easter bunny. Anguish vs. pastel baskets. Death vs. coloring eggs. Joy vs. hunting for eggs. It's such a tug-of-war between the extraordinary vs. ordinary. Pretty much just as it was back in the day, right? A carpenter? From Nazareth? A king riding into Jerusalem on a donkey? What the french, toast.

For me, I need to take the time, as I've been attempting to do throughout Lent this year, to reflect more deeply on the meaning of Easter.

That our God walked among men. What? Un-friggin-believable. (Truly unbelievable, to many!) He used to come in a cloud or a burning bush and scare the hell out of people. This time he joined us, taught us, fed us and loved us.

That, like Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac (and then some), God gave his only son to atone for our sins. And Jesus fully accepted his death on the cross for us. What? Is he crazy? (No, he's just a failed prophet, cite some.)

That, after the tomb was found empty, Jesus appeared not only to his disciples -- in a closed and locked room nonetheless -- but also to hundreds of people thereafter. But not like Casper the Friendly Ghost. He ate and drank with them. They felt his wounds. What? Is is a resurrection even possible? (It might happen, tsshyeah, and monkeys might fly out of my butt.)

If I were attempting to create a world religion, I don't think I would have my star character killed. I would have him dramatically rescued at the last minute. Perhaps a light-filled ascension right from the cross, like being lifted into an alien spaceship, with a bit of a "Ha! Told you so!" thrown in for good measure. Dude, that was really him? Man did we screw up.

Instead, darkness came over the land. The earth shook and the rocks split.

Also, I wouldn't write that he came back to earth -- especially since the first texts were written roughly 30 years after his death. Or, if I were making it up, I would have changed the dateline so that people couldn't refute my ridiculous claims. Yeah, it all happened 200 years ago. Too bad there isn't anyone around to chat about it.

But, much akin to idiots claiming that the Holocaust never occurred even when survivors are still living to this day, these texts were written when the people who actually saw the risen Lord were still alive and could back up the claims. That's way better than saying you were at Woodstock. And trust me, if someone published a book today making crap up about events at Woodstock that never took place (like the *fact* that Jimmy Hendrix actually performed in neon pink wig and floor length YSL ballgown), I guarantee people would not buy into it.

So what gives?

As Christ was entering Jerusalem and people were screaming "Hosanna in the highest," he said, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out." Luke 19:40

Even without anyone shouting, all of creation testifies to his glory.