Resurrection of Truth

Sasha grew up in home where her family went to church every Sunday but  she never quite understood why. When she turned 13 she asked her parents, "Why are we Christians and not Buddhist like my friend Jordan?"  Her father looked up from his newspaper, "We are Christians because your grandparents were Christian and their parents were Christian before them. It's a family tradition that we are proud to carry on."  He looked back down at his paper, taking a sip of coffee.  Sasha felt a myriad of emotions well up inside her chest. She could not distinguish what exactly she was feeling so she dropped it and went outside to ride her bike.

Three years had passed and Sasha was now 16.  She had many friends at school but they were all the same religion and even went to the same church every week. She longed to spend more time with Jordan but her parents always gave her a "good " reason why she was not allowed to hang out with her Buddhist friend.  Sasha felt particularly brave one evening before bedtime and approached her mother who was finishing up with laundry, "I was wondering if it would be okay if I went with Jordan to her family’s temple where they will be celebrating a special holy day...may I go?"  Mother kept loading the dryer, not missing a beat, "Hmmm, sounds interesting..."  Sasha pushed, "It's coming up in a few days so I need to let her know. So, is it okay?"  Again, Mother kept at her work, never once stopping to look Sasha in the eye.  Silence.  Sasha could barely muster the courage, "Mom?  Can I go?"  Mother turned to face her daughter, "Sweetheart, we are Christians, not Buddhist so please, stop asking, okay?"  ...

The emotions in Sasha's chest were now more than a tangle; they were a wildwood of hot and cold.  Steamy tears filled her eyes as she ran outside to breathe in the cool evening air. She stared up at the dark sky and asked God, "Is it okay to be Buddhist? Are we better than Jordan's family?"  There was no solemn voice or vision of Jesus in  a white robe like she'd seen in the movies.  All she could hear was a jet in the distance; only the stars seemed to acknowledge her inquiry -  but only in sparkles. She dropped to her knees on the soft grass and prayed, "I want to know the truth, God, please show me the way...because I don't think you love me any more than Jordan...do you?"

Sasha never did go with Jordan and her family to celebrate their holy day. 

Five years later, Sasha graduated from University.  Uni was a fertile field where Jordan found the treasure of diversity. Not only did she meet more "Jordans,” but also Muslims, Hindus, Agnostics, Atheists and Christians unlike her own denomination. She reveled in the newfound rainbow of fellowship and went along to worship (despite her parent's wishes) with them anytime the opportunity arose.  She saw new sights and tasted new tastes and smelled new smells.  Her spiritual conscience was strengthened and soared to new heights.

It was a clear and fragrant spring day when Sasha stepped out into the golden light of morning.   She hesitated at the Trevor White Old Fashioned rose bush near the front door.  Lush verdant foliage cradled the creamy blooms and this made Sasha smile.  Today was Easter Sunday; she was on her way to church to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and tucked beneath her arm was a blue bible her grandmother had given her when she was only 5 yrs old.  She bent over a to inhale the rose’s sweet aroma and then clicked on her cell phone to call Jordan, "I'm on my way, save me a seat!" 

Sasha learned that she could maintain her faith in God but only when she decided the God of her childhood was not an elitist like she’d been taught. She found the God of her own understanding could be trusted - not merely by obeying family tradition – but from serious inquiry and even healthy skepticism. Her exposure to others of different persuasions helped her to see that God does not play favorites and that the beauty of his principles are universally appealing.  There is, after all, room for everyone in God's kingdom.

Maybe you have lived a life similar to Sasha's, where your family restricted you from befriending those who were different. Maybe you grew up frustrated and maybe you are presently on the brink of chucking all you learned and starting over. Take heart, God is with you no matter what part of the journey you may be hiking.  He’s there to answer the tough questions and also there to just listen.  Bottom line is this: God is love and love never forsakes or abandons us.  There are no hoops for you jump through; only  open arms  for you to rest upon.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is about showing us, in a full-blown 3D object lesson, how truth and life reigns over the death and lies.  Truth will always enlarge who we are, lies will always diminish.  Truth will always breathe new life into our creativity and lies will always seek to snuff out our liveliness. The physical aspects of our risen Lord are impressive (how did He do that exactly?) but the spiritual implications are so glorious we can hardly wrap our minds around them.  We need not understand every tender overture of God's love for us - let's just be still and know we are indeed cherished and loved fiercely.

-S.N. Belmonte 2010