GETTING BACK TO BASICS

“Now I remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve…” (1 Cor 15: 1-5)

In this passage the Apostle reminds the Corinthians of the basics of our faith, because some in the community had become distracted by other issues and philosophies, which distorted the basic vision initially passed on to them. This vision was not based on argument, skillfully crafted at the desk of some philosopher, nor of course at the keyboard of some blogger, but on the lived experience of human witnesses: That Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and was then seen by many witnesses.

Today I am reminded of this simple fact, that my faith is about lived experience; of Christ’s life-giving Cross and Resurrection, with all its consequences. My faith is not about arguments that begin and end in my mind, but about my daily partaking of the grace-filled journey of the Cross, guided by the light of the Resurrection.

Let me continue this experience today, remembering with gratitude that it is passed on to me by many others, who lived it before. They lived it and shared it in Christ, Who is, indeed, risen!