Easter is a holiday I cherish on a personal level, and is a great theme to write about. Very popular, too, I see by the numbers ofwritings on the subject.
It seems like ages since I've written an article for this community. I've always been titillated by the idea of writing as if I didn't care about the slings and arrows.
An older and wiser man, I rarely to never interfere with a person's belief. I respect the myriad beliefs, the fundamentally sacred pact a person has with their conscience. You just can't change another's belief by insisting your own version of truth is the only true one, and, in fact, it is silly to confuse belief with certainty.
I love watching cinematic interpretations of the Jesus story, and the humanistic wisdom of Jesus and the "New Covenant" ever astound me when I think on them. However, at some point in my intellectual development I positively and unapologetically ceased to believe that there ever was a divine Jesus Christ, or at least a human who was something more than what any other mortal might determine for themselves. It is a fine distinction, one that escapes the many at first, but a disbelief in Jesus as "Son of God" or God (and which is it supposed to be again?) is not an identical sympathy with atheism.
Simply, the message of Jesus was inspired, by God perhaps, as much or more than any other inspired change in the direction of humanity; but born of a virgin? Resurrected three days after his execution? I think not. What's more, I believe not. I appreciate Easter as a spiritual resurrection, and God knows I have faith in life after death. How can it be otherwise? But I am without any fear or faith in Jesus as the salvation of my soul, the only intercessor to God. I believe the message was quite different by the mouth of Jesus, and the words of the Gospels not completely trustworthy in ths respect.
To me, Jesus was the quintessential example (for whether or not Jesus actually existed in the flesh, it is the story, the legend, and yes, the myth that matters to me, not their purported substance as infallible history) of a character that acceded to godhood, and taught that we might become god-like ourselves, as he did.
God, Jesus, and our myths are psychological realities that cannot be denied. The world of the interior--a vast, infinite expanse every bit immeasurable as the universe at large must continue to exist, not by our choice, but by our nature. The apostles witnessed a resurrection and worshipped Jesus as their soul's savior as a personal choice. Their belief was their choice, not an imperative incumbant on the non-believer.
My choice is clear, and unambiguous: Jesus, whose miracles were of a natural order, and whose wisdom impresses me for its ability to elevate the human condition in the context of a spiritual tradition that had ossified under the weight of law, order, and loss of imagination is a state of mind, not a state of matter.
Which leads me to my present understanding of the Jesus stories, as gateways to sacred imagination, rather than doctrines of the absolute or irrefutable historical narration. Good night, and God Bless.
Freelance journalist Gregory G. Lewis was a regular contributor to the West County News of Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts. As a correspondent to several Franklin County towns Mr. Lewis was better known by his Arts & Entertainment contributions, especially On the Marquee, a review of the region's outstanding art, music and drama.
"My assignments took me to dinners and breakfasts with the Governor; and to the 2006 Massachusetts Democratic Convention where I met candidate Deval Patrick, US Senator John Kerry, and even Kitty Dukakis," said Mr. Lewis.
Since the West County News closed its doors in August, Mr. Lewis has pursued the night life and high life of South Florida, in the
Proustian tradition. He now carouses tropical climes and exotic personalities, capitalizing on years of experience thrusting himself in the public eye.
I don't believe in all the teachings of the bible, nor do I believe in all the words Jesus spoke during his ministry. However I do believe he was the son of God.
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