At-one-ment

The struggle of humanity seems always around relationship, "at one ment"; whether with each other or the One whom we all wonder of given our sense of unworthiness.

Atheists wonder, or they would not struggle so much in explaining their reasoning, often with anger or implications of our stupidity as believers. Christians wonder or their theological abstracts would be more congruent. Churches wonder or there would not be so many denominations, even among interdenominational sects. We are a wonder full bunch as humans.

The institution of church has tried to settle the matter once and for all with the Canon, declaring scripture as the Word of God, for some quite literally and without thought. That then with no openess to insights from the Most Holy flies in the face of the concept of revelation, the role of the Spirit.

As I was reading this a.m. in the Psalms, chapter 51:16-19 NIV, again I see the struggle captured plainly, as the Psalmist writes, "You do not delight in sacrifice...you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings." Then almost immediately, sacrifices are prescribed as our means for God making "Zion prosper...burnt offerings to delight you."

There is something about humanity that requires us to pay our way into relationship with each other and the One who created us. Yet a Being so significant that would require such practices must, to the non-religious seem quite petty...not my words but often the ploy of the skeptic.

Perhaps the concept of sacrificial atonement is more our's than God's? Yet, if the only way we, in our small minds, could recieve the affection of the Almighty was through some means of payment for our sins, God in Christ surely became that!

A bigger deal yet, after we killed the sacrificial Lamb, God raised himself from the pit of death and emptied the Hell we all otherwise lived in dread of! Yes, folk once deceased were actually seen walking on the streets of Jerusalem shortly after the crucifixion!

That's amazing love, the Good News!