I'm in the midst of writing a Lenten Bible study on the theme "blessings in disguise." I focused on this theme because the given title for the study is "Blessings of the Cross."
The cross is the opposite of a blessing. It's an instrument of torture and death. In the first century, it was a cruel means of capital punishment. Yet, in Christianity, the cross is a symbol of new life.
Jesus suffers and dies on a cross. Yet, out of this death comes resurrection. The cross shows the very worst humans are capable of: torturing and murdering an innocent person. Yet, the cross becomes a means of forgiveness and redemption.
For Christians, the cross is the ultimate blessing in disguise. However, we experience blessings in disguise in daily life. Through an illness we learn to appreciate the gift of life on a deeper level. In a financial crisis, we discover what truly matters to us. In a time of tragedy we encounter God's grace.
Not every negative event that happens is a blessing in disguise. Yet, there is the possibility of it becoming so if we learn to look for it. Discovering these hidden blessings is not simple or easy, but it is worth the effort of looking for them.
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The cross seems to have a deeper symbolism than just death and suffering. To me it represents the human condition, what it means to be human. The horizontal line is like the horizon, the separation between heaven and earth, the separation that we feel between all the elements of duality.
ReplyDeleteThe vertical line is the connection between heaven and earth, or between god and man.
Man is essentially stuck on the cross, between duality of life and death and between heaven and earth. Jesus dies on the cross as a symbolic act of transcendance of the limitation that the cross represents.
Do you read my comments?
ReplyDeleteYes, Terry, I read all of your comments. I appreciate the unique perspective that you bring, especially from Buddhism. Please keep the excellent comments coming!
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