The Cross and the Resurrection

I was up in the mountains this past week, as I usually am at some point in July. The mountains are awesome; they're a great place to go to get away from some things and closer to others. So, having left a dead cell phone and an almost-dead iPod in my car at trailhead, I threw 40 pounds of gear on my back and hit the trail with four other guys who were anxious to leave the world behind and get a bit closer to who and what the world is all about.

God usually speaks to me in some way while I'm on the trail; however, it always catches me off guard when He does. Not because I don't expect it; but just because He grabs my attention in ways that I'm not ready for.

This time it happened while I was lounging in a hammock, reading a book that had been recommended to me by my older brother. In this book, a man describes a vision that he had in which, among other things, he went to heaven and talked with people. He spoke with the Apostle Paul, who cautioned him to preach "the ministry and the message." At one point in the visionary dialogue, Paul used the phrase, "the cross."

And it was like I couldn't find air to breathe.

The Cross! The Cross! When was the last time I had pondered the place of the Cross in my life? Seriously thought about what happened at the Cross and what it meant for the world? What does the cross mean? Why is it such an iconic symbol? What happened at the Cross? Why is it at the center of my faith?

And the Resurrection! You can't have the Cross without the Resurrection. What happened at the Resurrection? Why does it matter? Why is it part of the foundation upon which I believe? Why do I believe that it can change my life? Why do I believe that it can change other people's lives?

I remembered to take a breath. And as air filled my lungs, shame filled my heart.

I had forgotten.

I who hold a Summa Cum Laude with Honors Bachelor's Degree in New Testament Studies. I who am working toward a Master's of Divinity degree at one of the nation's premier seminaries. I who have been in church my whole life. I who have preached and taught others on the power of Grace and the magic of the God whom we serve.

For what felt like years, I had forgotten the Cross and the Resurrection. And while I lay perched in my little hammock on top of some mountain in the Rockies, God invaded the moment to remind me of some things I had forgotten. To remind me that some things are a big deal. I have been so caught up in how things change across the ages...

I forgot to remember what stays the same.

"Christ has died; Christ has risen; Christ will come again." The mystery of faith. These words echo across the centuries, the timeless reverberations holding together those who claim Christ as their Lord and Savior. This is where my focus should lie; not in the things that I know will fade.