It’s one of those amazing stories we’re told as children, one that’s meant to both fire our imaginations and also serve as a point on our moral compasses. Jesus of Nazareth, who was killed for speaking out against the Roman establishment, defied the State, suffered crucifixion and then returned from the dead.
That’s quite a story! It was the iconic hero’s journey long before Superman, Bilbo Baggins, Luke Skywalker or Harry Potter came along. Unlikely hero emerges from humble beginnings (Nazareth – or Bethlehem, if you prefer that version), the hero is presented with a challenge (to achieve forgiveness of sins for all mankind, in one version, or to reform Judaism in another), refusing the call (Jesus repeatedly denied any Holy origins), meeting the mentor (John the Baptist launches Jesus on his quest), and crossing the threshold (Jesus leaves hearth and home to embark on his ministry). From there Jesus is tested by Satan, finds a band of brothers (the disciples), tested again by Roman officials, he doubts his cause in the Garden of Gethsemane, he faces death and rebirth, and then he is rewarded with eternal life.
It checks every box!
But why do we still celebrate Easter?
Most people took what they needed from that Sunday school story and moved on. Some still go through the motions of true belief, but even a high percentage of “true believers” don’t actually walk the walk or talk the talk of followers of Jesus. The current Christian Nationalist movement is a perfect and glaring example – we have some of the most hateful and ignorant people in the world screaming at the top of their voices from pulpits both local and national and spewing hate, intolerance and bigotry with every word.
Jesus, you say? They don’t seem to know who he was. I’m not sure what those crosses prominently displayed around their necks symbolize, but I’m a little surprised they don’t leave scorch marks on their shirts. It doesn’t represent any Jesus I’ve ever studied, and I’ve studied the man quite intently from a wide array of perspectives.
The hero story that has always been my favorite is that of Luke Skywalker. Luke has a power within him that he doesn’t even realize until he’s in his twenties, and when Obi-Wan Kenobi awakens that power Luke eventually embraces the responsibility that comes with great power. He confronts the most evil being in the galaxy, and arises victorious, saving his father from the Dark Side of the Force in the process. For me, Darth Vader, his father, has come to symbolize the corruption of great power but also the ability to shrug it off and rise above it’s terrible, corrupting influence. Darth Vader’s choice to return to being Anakin Skywalker in order to save his son is the most powerful story I’ve ever encountered. It continues to fire my imagination and serve as a daily motivation for me, some 45 years after I first saw it.
When people ask me my religion, I like to say I’m a Jedi. What does mean? Like Gautama, Jesus and Luke, I work to be a peaceful warrior. I meditate, do yoga, and try to regulate my feelings, channel the extremes and to be a force for good. I have my Vader moments, of course, but those are learning opportunities, chances to continue to grow and evolve. If I said I was a Jedi and went around getting angry all the time, judging other people and refusing to help my neighbors, what kind of Jedi would I really be? Wouldn’t people say I had missed the point?
That’s where we are with Jesus on this Easter Sunday. We keep missing the point, and in many cases we seem to be getting further away from it, not closer. Whether or not you’re a Christian, I do believe the core teachings of Jesus – love your neighbor, love God (the creation around us) – are fundamental to all enlightened philosophies. Will we miss the mark? Certainly. But if we aren’t even attempting to hit it, why continue to celebrate a hero we don’t embrace?
-B
Ishmael's Legacy 