Rise Up

It was early in the morning, and a Sunday to boot--so I might have expected those sprawling parking lots to be empty.  But it didn't seem quite right as I jogged my regular sunrise route through the conspicuously empty space. 

And then it hit me; it was Easter Sunday. 

In days gone by those lots would have been jammed packed with the cars of those who'd come from near and far.  Many will remember the great Easter Sunrise service at the Hollywood Bowl--each year drawing thousands from across the Christian landscape to trumpet the age-old early morning exclamation:  "Jesus is Risen."  This year not a soul had risen to come.

Another tradition gone, I thought, my shrug of indifference surprising even me.

Another dead tradition seems particularly poignant this year with the recent death of Robert Schuller and the reminder that a vision of a grand and glorious Christianity--with parking lots and pews overflowing with eager parishioners--is as dead as he is. 

I must admit, a small part of me is sad.  Death has that effect on me.  But the greater part of me is glad, because our traditions need to die.  And frankly, most of what passes for Christianity isn't really Christianity, it's merely tradition....and in the end it will die with us anyway. 

What will live on, however, is true and authentic Christianity--that which is based on the teachings of Jesus.  NOT what we say about him.  NOT the so-called "articles of faith" that we have devised about him.  NOT the traditions we make up that just happen to mention him....just Jesus. 

That's a challenging message for many, Christian and non-Christian alike.  But that's OK, because Jesus was all about challenge.  He didn't care about sunrise services and full pews and cathedrals (Crystal or otherwise) or whether people got their theology right.  Jesus cared about justice.  Jesus cared about truth.  Jesus cared about love.

Wouldn't it be great if what rose up in the place of yet another dead tradition was an authentic community proclaiming love and truth and justice, instead of yet another tradition that packs in the crowds today but will be gone as quickly as you can say "God loves you, and so do I?"

Then it might be Easter after all.