Cheap Grace
Photo by James Coleman on Unsplash
Every year, I promise myself (and God) that I will do better about observing lent and really reflecting on the true meaning of the crucifixion. Like every other year, lent came, and I did very little to observe, but I found myself doing a lot of reflecting. In my moments of contemplation, I found myself thinking specifically about the cross's violent nature and how Western Christianity has perverted and sanitized the message of Christ’s life and ministry. Today, on this Easter Sunday, I want to create space for people of color who need to lament, struggle to hope, and long for justice and healing….
First, I will begin by sharing a few thoughts about the agonizing yet beautiful nature of Jesus and the cross.
“The cross has been transformed into a harmless, non-offensive ornament that Christians wear around their necks. Rather than reminding us of the ‘cost of discipleship,’ it has become a form of ‘cheap grace,’ an easy way to salvation that doesn’t force us to confront the power of Christ’s message and mission.” - James Cone, The Cross and the Lynching Tree
Just a few thoughts…
In his book, "The Cross and the Lynching Tree," Cone says a variety of powerful statements. However, this particular statement struck a chord with me because Cone drew my attention specifically to two important phrases: "cost of discipleship" and "cheap grace."
The first because we often think about the brutal nature of the Roman cross passively. As if Christ's death was a small task that led to a free "get out of hell" card. Or, as if Christ's death gives us the license to live life carefreely, then be able to say a cute little prayer and have everything forgiven. When, in reality, Roman crucifixions were known to be slow and excruciatingly painful. Victims were often stripped naked, tied to a post, and then flogged across the back, buttocks, and legs by Roman soldiers, sometimes to the point of sudden death. If the victim survived, Roman soldiers would also opt to cut off parts of their body then tie or nail the remainder of the victim's body to the cross, where they most likely died of asphyxia or respiratory failure.
For the sake of time, I will stop there, but the reality of the cross (besides men need therapy) is that a sacrifice like this should not be taken lightly. When I consider Cone's second phrase (cheap grace), the fact that the American church preaches forgiveness without requiring accountability or repentance should also not be taken lightly. To make matters worse, many of you double down and try to redirect the attention to other groups of people like the Black, Asian, and LGBTQ communities, and it is beyond exhausting…
So today, if I can be honest, I find myself in a state of anger and sadness. I find myself mourning the current state of society and wondering if God will really show up as he promised. All I can do is be patient, hope, and pray…
In the meantime, I leave you with one last reflection - a poem written by my beautiful friend, Danyealah Green-Lemons that speaks to my frustrations about the current state of things.
I pray that these words bless you as they have blessed me…
A Home for Nuance
Mind, body
spirit longing
take me to then and there
unhinge me
release me
pass me through the divide
pass molecule
atom
anatomy
through the in between
the betwixt
the while amongst -
transport me
transcend me, us
liberate bone
upend body
heal me in the waters
of tomorrow
forgetting yesteryear
forging remedy
survival
milk and honey
song and dance -
fashion me in the kiln
with hand
with hand
with hand
ignite fiber, limb,
stretch and muscle
to freedom
a collective hymn
a longing for then and then
“Then” they say
NOW I say
Liberty NOW
Justice NOW
Peace NOW
now
now
now
waiting in the temporal
never felt so tense
breathing in the brevity
never felt so choking
until now
“then” they say
NOW I say
Liberty NOW
Justice NOW
Peace NOW
Bridge over troubled waters NOW
healing NOW
no
one
waits
no one waits knowingly
we wait wretchedly
we wait fearfully
we wait groaningly
we wait weightedly
we wait curiously
we wait bitterly
no one waits for justice now
we call fire
we call heaven down
we call hallelujah down
we call down
down
down
down
freedom rains
spirit song
earth song
a deep imbibing
a torrential downpour
a flood
an overflow
a mystic river
a water for healing now.
Sources:
“A Home for Nuance” by Danyealah Green-Lemons. You can support her work and follow her @greenlemonsd and @the_urban_ist on Instagram.
Jesus and the Cross by Steven Shisley
Jesus Wasn't the Only Man to Be Crucified. Here's the History Behind This Brutal Practice by Laura Geggel