faith

March to the Beat of a Different Drummer

“Whether things turn out for the better

depends on what we do. 

We ought not spend our time

masterminding the future,

but recognize our marching orders:

to do the best we can

for history and the planet.”

~ Huston Smith

The Pageant of Mankind 

An old friend of mine looked me dead in the eye and said, “You know, kiddo, we can only expect to live a good life to 88 or so; beyond that Life is just uncomfortable, and not really very pleasant to live.”  Walt went on to explain to me how, after all these years, he finally understood the Passion of the Christ (from Palm Sunday through Easter) being a “pageant” for mankind.  


Walt, with tears in his eyes, explained how Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, portrayed our role in this world.  Jesus was held accountable for ALL sin, the laws of the land, enduring pain and hardship, physical challenges, and more.  Even when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciples couldn’t remain awake for one hour to share his fears because it wasn’t happening to them. That’s the human side of us. We tend to stand outside looking in. Hanging on the cross, Jesus is still a man… (“My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?”) with two others guilty of their crimes, one on each side—which represents Mankind again.  One robber epitomizes the people of this world, and the other embodies the people of God.  When the robber confesses his sins, he knows he is undeserving of eternal life, and yet believes that Jesus Christ truly is the Son of God.  At that moment he is forgiven and Jesus assures him, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”  That’s all Jesus asks of us:  Believe in Him, that He is the Son of God, and you will be saved. It’s right there in the Bible for us to see.  John 3:16 reads “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.”

I always enjoyed talking with Walt.  He was an inspirational man who directed questions that were thought-provoking; ones that got to the heart of existence.  I cried a lot of tears the day he died. And then I shed a mountain of tears for the sacrifices Jesus made for us, because I finally understood the message that day.