DAY 47...Naked Truth
"Today He who hung the earth upon the waters is hung on the tree." - 15th Antiphon of Holy Friday
Naked. Lifeless. Hung on a Tree. God.
Most icons are modest in the way they depict the crucifixion of Christ. They show him covered up. The fact is, He was hung naked, in total humiliation. One might find it crazy to learn that before the world was even created, God knew this would be the what was needed to save the world. Yet, in His total love, He created the world anyway.
How He did it is incredible. It is the exact opposite of human's inclination of a King, but humanities expectations often lead us astray:
Adam's pride banished him from paradise
Christ's humility brought us back to Himself
Adam took from a tree thinking it would make him God.
Christ hung from a tree showing the love of God.
Adam feared humiliation and hid his nakedness.
Christ willingly was humiliated and was stripped naked.
Adam broke humanity's communion vertically with God, and horizontally with his neighbor, Eve.
Christ restores humanity's communion with God and neighbor, on two pieces of wood placed vertically and horizontally.
It seems so backwards that Jesus, our God, is crucified. He is murdered.
But we are the ones who are backwards. We, the ones He fashioned, who He created with such care, carelessly put Him to death.
Naked. Lifeless. Hung on a Tree. God.
Most icons are modest in the way they depict the crucifixion of Christ. They show him covered up. The fact is, He was hung naked, in total humiliation. One might find it crazy to learn that before the world was even created, God knew this would be the what was needed to save the world. Yet, in His total love, He created the world anyway.
How He did it is incredible. It is the exact opposite of human's inclination of a King, but humanities expectations often lead us astray:
Adam's pride banished him from paradise
Christ's humility brought us back to Himself
Adam took from a tree thinking it would make him God.
Christ hung from a tree showing the love of God.
Adam feared humiliation and hid his nakedness.
Christ willingly was humiliated and was stripped naked.
Adam broke humanity's communion vertically with God, and horizontally with his neighbor, Eve.
Christ restores humanity's communion with God and neighbor, on two pieces of wood placed vertically and horizontally.
It seems so backwards that Jesus, our God, is crucified. He is murdered.
But we are the ones who are backwards. We, the ones He fashioned, who He created with such care, carelessly put Him to death.
He dies naked. He exposes Himself completely to the world. He makes Himself vulnerable. When Jesus said, love as I have loved you, He does so in a way that expresses vulnerability. Being Christian means to be like Christ. Christ died because He loved the world. This being the case, if, A = B and B = C than A = C and being a Christian is not be safe. We must allow ourselves to love no matter what it exposes ourselves to. We may expose ourselves to hate, malice, injustice. Perhaps we go to help someone and they repay love for evil. Perhaps we go to love someone and they kill us. Do it anyway.
Physical nakedness however, is sacred. It is not just thrown around. Pornography takes that sacred nakedness and removes love, tainting it. This makes us more insecure, more unsure of what our own nakedness is in God's eyes. It has us running for cover, much like Adam and Eve in the garden. It makes us not want to be exposed. It messes with our true relationships. It's amazing how something so beautiful can be skewed into something ugly. Christ is called the Bridegroom who exposes Himself to His bride. That type of physical nakedness is to be kept between a bride and groom.
True vulnerability is what saved the world. True vulnerability means you expose yourself in love, no matter the consequences. And after you're beat up, torn apart, spit upon, you keep loving.
"We worship your passion O Christ, show us your glorious Resurrection!"
Physical nakedness however, is sacred. It is not just thrown around. Pornography takes that sacred nakedness and removes love, tainting it. This makes us more insecure, more unsure of what our own nakedness is in God's eyes. It has us running for cover, much like Adam and Eve in the garden. It makes us not want to be exposed. It messes with our true relationships. It's amazing how something so beautiful can be skewed into something ugly. Christ is called the Bridegroom who exposes Himself to His bride. That type of physical nakedness is to be kept between a bride and groom.
True vulnerability is what saved the world. True vulnerability means you expose yourself in love, no matter the consequences. And after you're beat up, torn apart, spit upon, you keep loving.
"We worship your passion O Christ, show us your glorious Resurrection!"
Today's Instructions:
A. Pray for the day, for friends, for family, for enemies. Thanksgiving, Requests, Praise.
B. In the Fortify Program, Update the battle tracker. Go to Week 7. Check out, "Meaning and Purpose," "Finding Meaning and Purpose," and "When were you happiest."
C. Go to the daily readings and read today's Scripture.
D. Journal the following: 1. What is it good to expose yourself? 2. When is it inappropriate to expose yourself?
Today's Tips: When the urges come get up. Stop. Breathe. Pray. Open your Holy Week book and read from one of the three Friday services.
God give you strength. See you tomorrow.
Don't ever come back to this page to start over. This is the launching pad. You've already begun, even if you fall.
If you want to review this page, please do, but do not come back here to start over.
A. Pray for the day, for friends, for family, for enemies. Thanksgiving, Requests, Praise.
B. In the Fortify Program, Update the battle tracker. Go to Week 7. Check out, "Meaning and Purpose," "Finding Meaning and Purpose," and "When were you happiest."
C. Go to the daily readings and read today's Scripture.
D. Journal the following: 1. What is it good to expose yourself? 2. When is it inappropriate to expose yourself?
Today's Tips: When the urges come get up. Stop. Breathe. Pray. Open your Holy Week book and read from one of the three Friday services.
God give you strength. See you tomorrow.
Don't ever come back to this page to start over. This is the launching pad. You've already begun, even if you fall.
If you want to review this page, please do, but do not come back here to start over.
