Good Friday and the Experience of Crucifixion
One would think crucifixion would become easier each time, that one could perfect it like an art – surrendering to suffering with the skilled internal acrobatics of a saint, sinking into despair with fearless free-fall, embracing and shining through shame like an eternal child of the Light. At the least, one might hope that each psychic death would at least follow the same generalized flow.
Yet would it really be surrender if we mastered how to do it and knew exactly how it would go? Would it really be crucifixion if there wasn’t some resistance to it, if we didn’t beg and plead, why has God forsaken me?
I remember an ex-girlfriend who had mixed feelings about my mystical proclivities, especially the understanding of the Cross as an experiential gateway from suffering to healing. “I’m not really on the same page,” she said, “I think Jesus got crucified so we don’t have to be.” It was a lovely sentiment of divine mercy.
I wish it were true.
OK. That is a provocative if rather empty assertion. In the absence of any evidence to document your assertion I’m going with your ex girlfriend’s rather well considered conclusion.
I wonder if this is a demonstration of knowing through direct experience (as a mystic does) versus knowing through the mind, thinking, beliefs, the intellect or, in other words, a cognitive approach (which most of contemporary Western Christianity does).
I understand that life demands a degree of surrender and letting go whenever it invites us to transform. One might ask, though, what is this infatuation with victimhood and playing the martyr that insists spiritual growth requires crucifixion? What if divine mercy exists to provide a more light hearted approach? Perhaps we could just take Jesus at his word. It is finished. Time to move on. Could it be that the real calling is in uncovering more and more of who we are rather than crucifying ourselves at every turn? Just who are we trying to impress with all our sacrifice and suffering anyway.
Well said! I agree.
the struggle, suffering, death of the self is a powerful spiritual metaphor. but some folks seem unwilling or unable to embrace it as such. that’s ok. the teaching reaches many people in whatever way they’re willing to accept it. and hopefully it benefits them, bringing them peace, mercy and joy. it is also possible to view the life, death and resurrection of jesus as a path of awakening for all beings. the gnostic gospels seem to point to this very directly. if the words in this article don’t resonate for you, that’s great. that doesn’t negate them or make them untrue. whether we would care to admit it or not, we only know what we have experienced… and we have no idea what anyone else experiences. and each of us has our own blind spots. as one of my teachers has said, "you can’t know what you don’t know." he also said, "from the top of the mountain, you can see all the paths leading up. from the bottom of the mountain you can only see the path that you are on."
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