the Resurrection.

Once I heard a theologian pose the question, 'Would Christianity have had the impact it did on the world without the resurrection of Jesus?' and then he added, 'Would you be a Christian had Jesus not resurrected?'

Every Easter Sunday, almost inevitable I think of these questions. After all, that is the most important event that sets Christianity apart from any other tradition or religion. The fact that we believe that Jesus Christ came back from the dead. That he did so in a real way, in flesh and bone and dined in presence of the apostles. It is often simple to believe in the resurrection in a very non-physical type of way. At least, for a while I used to reconcile the very difficult idea of Jesus resurrecting. I often thought about resurrection as the overcoming of obstacles, pain and suffering that is embodied in the cross, and the willingness of the spirit to not only endure trial but overcome it. In this way, we can actually relate to the resurrection many times during our life.
 Whenever life becomes difficult, and we know it does often, whenever we get through these hard times we often think and feel as if we had resurrected. As if we are a new creature that thinks and feels different about the world or a particular state of affairs. But, the question the theologian I heard many years ago was posing was a very direct one--not metaphorical or symbolic at all.

I wrestle with the question because I do not seem to be so caught up on the fact that Jesus came back from the dead. Shocking! Yes. I do not entertain whether the project of Christianity had taken off and been such a success without the resurrection story, but with the part of whether I would still follow Jesus even if that part of the story was missing. If Jesus had died on the cross and that had been the end, whether I would be Christian at all. I know that logically I could not entertain this question without first acknowledging first that Christianity became a success historically because of the resurrection, but granting that this could have happen without the resurrection, whether I would still follow Jesus.

Part of what makes Christianity so appealing in fact, is that it cheers for the underdog. Maybe this is why the project of Christianity would still have been successful even without the resurrection of Jesus Christ. How much more dramatic would have been if Jesus, had died and not been a 'winner' by resurrecting? Would his followers be still more detach from the 'heaven in their minds' and live a life simply without any reward by following a messiah that gave his life and did not receive anything in exchange? I do not know, but it is nice to think of this 'type' of Christianity.

So, to go back to the question, I would like to believe I would still be Christian had 'those pages' from the gospels had gone missing at some point in history. Why? Because despite of the resurrection I find in the man of Jesus Christ a person that is not only worth imitating and following, but one that speaks with an authority that makes the kingdom of heaven a possibility. A man that indeed I know is God-made-man. A God-man that goes under the cross for the sins of humanity and who speaks of the love of the Father as the one of the Progidical-Son parable. Perhaps, a God that manifests himself this way does not need to resurrect to show humanity the nature of his being, which also, is inevitable to love in return.

Noah: A Film Review.

There has been a lot of controversy around the recent Hollywood film 'Noah' concerning the inaccuracies of the film regarding the ancient bible story. For many who consider the interpretation of biblical texts literally, the movie depicts a story that is not only inaccurate but that as a consequence one that threatens the understanding and passing down of a holy story.


The film directed by Darren Aronofsky starting Russell Crowe as a stubborn Noah has a double spin of Hollywood's over the top fantasy with fallen angels made of huge beings made of rock and a philosophical and theological approach where Noah struggles with the will of God contrary to his conscience. In addition, the film tries to make of an ancient story a contemporary and relevant narrative.
For some, keeping the story accurate to the text is the one single most important fact. The argument of course, that the bible is the literal word of God and any description that shows otherwise is altering the truth of the biblical text. This argument, dismisses the possibility of holding down to truths that are metaphorical. The story can contain a message which holds to be true despite of whether every fact within the story actually happened.
Having said that, it is extremely difficult to understand the theological truths of God in the story of Noah. A world that has gone awry and as a consequence God decides to punish all alike by starting a flood that would wipe all of humanity except for one family. What can we preserve from this?
The film adds a twist to the original version. Spoiler alert, it is in Noah's hands to choose whether or not to continue humanity where one of his children marries and conceive two daughters. Noah still in the ark, having set in his mind that God has decided to sweep humanity out of the world because of their wickedness has to choose of whether or not to let the newborns live.
Noah, personifying the will of God in the story--chooses life. He chooses life over death, he chooses a new beginning over the end of all, he chooses restoration over destruction, he chooses opportunity over resignation, he chooses love over accountability, he chooses mercy over judgement and perhaps, this is the message to be kept form the story of Noah: A God who acts the way Noah did.