Chris, Christmas and the Theology of the Cross

This past week our Times News ran an article about one of our members, Chris Baldus, who has made a decision to use football training as a way to get back into his football-fit former days.  In that article Chris recounted his days playing football at Iowa Wesleyan College.  Though their team was small in number and underdogs at best, their coaches gave them a pep talk and then handed out blue jerseys with a big “S” on them.  They were to be Supermen!  Well, they went out and lost game after game that season.  Chris remembers those days fondly.  He concludes philosophically, “Football is a lifestyle built on motivation and picking yourself up ... in football, there is always hope.”

After reading that article I commented to my wife, “That Chris Baldus sure understands the theology of the cross.” 

But first let’s talk about Christmas.  Here comes baby Jesus, a true “underdog” born to an unmarried peasant girl.  Yet he is adorned with a big “S” by angel choirs, shepherds and even wise men.  So how will he fare?  That little boy … Superman and Savior … will soon be chased into Egypt and then return to be rejected by most of his own family, hated by most of the religious persons of his day and only have three years of “picking himself up” again and again (with God’s help) to serve other underdogs until he is unfairly and brutally terminated. 

Yet he is NOT terminated; hope is not destroyed by adversity.  The final note is not defeat but resurrection.  Scriptures tell us that God works in the real grind of life, picking us up … again and again … after many a loss.  Here is the theology of the cross not some fantasy “victory road.”  Though pocked with accident, illness, injustice … or messes of our own creation … God comes right into the middle of the chaos and sets up camp.  He gives us a jersey with an “S” on it.  Put it on!  Though all abandon, I will never leave you.  And so, with Jesus we sigh … and pray, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”  There’s always hope.

Ahhh, Christmas, filled with beautiful garments … adorned with an “S.”  God is in that “S” … Son, Shepherd, Savior … living with us and in us, seeking us when we get lost and picking us up, up.  Saved, now Serve!  There is always hope!

Thanks, Chris, for that good news article.  We applaud your efforts to return to good shape that you may participate more fully in the active lives of your children.  Those sprints, bear crawls, burpees and other drills will take Spirit!  Thanks for sharing your hope.  God bless you to keep blessing your family, all of us. 

This Christmas, that same spirit comes to us in the birth of Jesus.  He’ll give us a tough garment with an “S.”  Let’s wear it, prayerfully … joyfully.

Pastor Dan