In my Palm Sunday sermon, posted on the PVCC website thanks to Julie Lane, I offer two interpretations of Good Friday and Easter. One interpretation comes from the twelfth century. Anselm, the second Archbishop of Canterbury, created a theory of “at-one-ment” or atonement. Accordingly, sin created a separation between God and humanity. God’s sense of justice required that the debt be paid. Jesus’ died to satisfy God’s demand for justice and, thereby, reconciled God and humanity. Another interpretation, which I find more satisfying, finds that Jesus’ death and resurrection are the fulfillment of his life’s work, which was to create an inclusive community—a new society founded on the creative, sustaining and redeeming love of God. Through his death, as in his life, Jesus broke down the dividing walls that separate us from each other—not from God who is ever present. The resurrection—the creation of the new community—is the fruit of his life and death. The most important thing that we can do as an Easter People is to demonstrate to the world the reality of this new society. Christ is Risen!
Peace, David Hansen