Reflection on “Love, Not Atonement”

Love, Not Atonement

Image Credit – Shutterstock

Today is Good Friday. A solemn day by tradition; a day to reflect on Jesus’ Passion and death on the cross…the day that Jesus died in order to redeem our sins.

I love my faith. I live my faith. But something about this image has never seemed right to me. I have struggled with venerating Jesus’ mangled body hanging on cross. Not because I feel guilty that He died for me, but because I think most of Christian theology misses the point. The whole John 3:16 thing isn’t what a loving parent, a loving God would require as retribution for our fuck-ups…karma or not.

I have started countless blog posts on this topic, trashing them all because they sound preachy and almost heretical.

Then I received a daily devotional email from my favorite Franciscan Fr. Richard Rohr. He recently wrote a piece saying EXACTLY what I’ve been trying to explain to people my whole life!

And since he is a much more articulate and accomplished writer than I, I will share that link with you here: http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Richard-Rohr-s-Meditation–Love–Not-Atonement.html?aid=iXa_UNn2YaQ&soid=1103098668616