Monday, May 13, 2019
652 - Life Beyond the Cross
Spirituality Column #652
May 14, 2019
Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary
Life beyond the Cross
By Bob Walters
My friend “Russ H.” who I met at the spunky, country,
west-of-Traverse-City Eden Bible Church in Beulah, Mich., sent this story in an
email this week.
“Every year thousands of people climb a mountain in the Italian Alps,
passing the ‘stations of the cross’ to stand at an outdoor crucifix. One
tourist noticed a little trail that led beyond the cross. He fought
through the rough thicket and, to his surprise, came upon another shrine, a
shrine that symbolized the empty tomb. It was neglected. The brush
had grown up around it. Almost everyone had gone as far as the cross, but
there they stopped. Far too many have gotten to the cross and have known
the despair and the heartbreak. Far too few have moved beyond the
cross to find the real message of Easter: that our enemies of sin, the curse,
and death are beaten.”
I love that; and what timing. The past two weeks in this space we’ve talked
about the “Foot of the Cross” and “Living at the Cross” and Russ, who served as Eden’s
worship tech running the audio sends over this perfectly
themed tip for a third installment of our encounter with Jesus, the
Cross, and the life beyond.
I looked it up, and this story approximates and likely
alludes to the Sacro Monte Calvario –
Way of the Cross – begun by Catholic monks in 1656 at Domodossola, Italy,
northwest of Milan in the Alps near the Swiss border. Originally wooden crosses were planted along
the steeply-uphill trail for each of the 14 stations which mark Jesus’s journey
from his arrest to the final station, the tomb.
Stations 11-12-13 are Jesus on the Cross, and the 14th is the
empty tomb. At Domodossola, as at many
other similar displays around the world, a 15th station has been
added: the Resurrection.
In its colorful 450-year history, Domodossola’s
“Way” has been built, burned, de-frocked (by Napoleon), and constantly rebuilt. Today it is comprised of large and
magnificent stations including the original 1659 Calvario church at a summit
which houses stations 12-13. The 14th
– the tomb – is lower, in its basement.
The 15th station is the less-known place slightly up the mountain
over ruins of a 7th century fortification.
That’s the
place “beyond” and it’s tougher to find.
Though at slight variance with the anecdote, O! how our spiritual
journey deepens as we ponder life beyond the Cross.
Thriving Christians
should have long ago left their problems and cares with Jesus at the Cross, and
joyously discovered and cherish the salvation He provides in life. We go to the Cross in humility, but our
relationship with Christ suffers if we dwell there in fear and guilt. Remember:
Satan, not Jesus, is the accuser. In His
Resurrection, Jesus desires us to live boldly in the light, truth, power,
peace, permanence, freedom and joy of His love.
Yes, we are forgiven, but not to focus on ourselves. Love travels outward.
Consider
Peter’s self-absorbing guilt after denying Jesus and abandoning Him at the
Cross. When Peter encounters the
resurrected Jesus on the shore, is Peter accused? Is he berated? Is he punished? No.
Jesus asks him: “Do you love me?”
That’s as
simple as it gets: love – not guilt – allows us to live beyond the Cross.
Walters
(rlwcom@aol.com) attends Eden Bible Church when visiting
his in-laws. Pray for Russ and his wife Kathy ... they've been away from church battling health issues.