ACD Blog

Easter and the Stations of the Cross
Today the full moon appears and it is "Good Friday." Some may object to the description of Christ's suffering as "good" or additionally object to placing his crucifixion on a Friday which doesn't allow a full three days and nights between his death and resurrection. But all can agree that Jesus suffered on the day he died as was dramatically displayed in the recent movie "The Passion of the Christ." How do we 21st Century Christians remember the day of Jesus Death?

A segment of Christianity, attempting to be faithful to Scripture and to the practices of the Early Church, celebrate the Passover at the same time the Jews do. They celebrate it as a Lord's supper or Christian Passover service. Unleavened bread and red wine symbolize the broken body and spilled blood of our Savior as he suffered and died on the Jewish Passover almost 2000 years ago. In the centuries following Christ's death, resurrection, and exaltation there was a continual movement away from first century Jewish Christianity toward a Greek (Gentile) version of Christianity. There were many differences between the two. One was the rejection of things Jewish by what came to be regarded as "traditional" Christianity. The Passover was rejected in favor of Easter. The Lord's supper or the Eucharist (meaning "thanksgiving") came to be celebrated under different names and in different ways, whether daily, weekly, or monthly among Protestants and Catholics. The Passover was observed by the Jews and early Christians as an annual celebration. Easter replaced Passover as the Passion's annual celebration and along with Easter came some of its pagan baggage--the festival of Easter predates Christianity by centuries. Observing the Stations of the Cross came to be an annual celebration for Good Friday.

In my visits to Israel I've passed some to the traditional Stations walked by pilgrims in Jerusalem. In the mid 1700s the Stations of the Cross were first reenacted in Rome's Coliseum and later revived in 1964 by Pope Paul VI. There is no biblical command for this practice although it is a way to relive that fateful day that changed the world. The1st Station: Jesus is condemned to death; 2nd: Jesus takes up his cross; 3rd: Jesus falls for the first time; 4th: Jesus meets his mother; 5th: The Cyrenian helps Jesus carry the cross; 6th: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus; 7th: Jesus falls for the second time; 8th: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem who weep for him; 9th: Jesus falls for the third time; 10th: Jesus is stripped of his garments; 11th: Jesus is nailed to the cross; 12th: Jesus dies on the cross; 13th: Jesus is taken down from the cross and given to his mother; 14th: Jesus is laid in the tomb.

Most, but not all, of these events can be found in the Gospel accounts--others reflect Catholic tradition. In worship liturgy these stations in turn are accompanied with scripture reading, prayer and meditation.

I don't criticize those who have chosen to remember our Lord's Passion and Resurrection in ways I don't. I believe some practices are plainly more scriptural and true to the practices of the early church, while others are encumbered with non-biblical traditions. Yet, what is more important than dates, traditions, liturgy, and doctrinal dogma, is that Christians have accepted Christ as Savior and have turned their hearts toward God; that they have submitted their will to God's will and have embarked on his way of life; that they have repented of sin and pursue righteousness, justice and mercy with all their heart, mind and strength; and that they are developing Godly character fitting for the coming Kingdom of God. It isn't as important how we observe the Passion, but whether we are reacting to it in ways pleasing to God.--Ken Westby

The Conundrum of Michael Schiavo
Michael Schiavo, Terri's supposed husband and the custodian of her care, has a serious conflict of interest. While he has been married to Terri, he has also been living with another woman for over 10 years and has produced two children by this woman. Outside of the fact that this is a clear case of adultery and a profound manifestation of a legal conflict of interest, he is in a unique position with respect to the law that is shared by no other man in the United States, and this is the legal conundrum of his life:

If his current live-in woman were to become severely disabled due to an accident or a disease, he would have legal standing in court to pull the feeding tube on her as he has done in the case of his legal wife, Terri. In other words, he is legally married to two women. He has the legal right to determine the end-of-life care of both women.

If you were the judge and knew this, would it change your opinion regarding his decisions about his wife Terri. --Ken Ryland

Weak Politicians, Wicked Judges
Weakness is the handmaiden of wickedness. We have witnessed the truth of this axiom most poignantly this past week in the case of Terri Schiavo. The weak have enabled the wicked to gain the upper hand in their attempt to murder this disabled woman--a woman who is conscious and who has no life-threatening disease. Time after time politicians have deferred to the will of the corrupt judges, even though those judges have clearly exceeded the scope of their mandated jurisdiction.

The U.S. Congress passed and the President signed a law mandating that the case of Terri Schiavo be tried in federal court "de novo," that is, as if it were a brand new case. The bill allowed Terri's parents legal standing to bring the suit in federal court. In spite of all that, the federal district judge refused to hear the case and simply reiterated the ruling of the Florida state court judge--clearly violating the intent of Congress and the statute that was passed. (As an aside for those who think that Congress acted outside its jurisdiction by enacting this law, read Article 3 of the U.S. Constitution, which gives to Congress the sole authority for establishing courts and their jurisdiction. In other words, Congress has the right to decide what federal judges are to rule on.)

The worst case of weak knees seems to be that of Florida Governor Jeb Bush who has the legal authority to take Terri Schiavo into state custody so that she may live. Yet, at each step along the way, Governor Bush has deferred to the Florida state courts, seeking their opinions on whether he has the right to take Terri Schiavo out from under the court's jurisdiction. The governor asked the same judge who sentenced Terri to death whether it would be all right if he took her out from under Michael Schiavo's custody and put her under the protective custody of the state's Department of Children and Families ("pretty please, Mr. Judge"). As pastor D. James Kennedy of Coral Ridge, Florida, pointed out in a recent article, "...the Florida constitution states in Article I, Section 2, that '[a]ll natural persons, female and male alike, are equal before the law, and have inalienable rights, among which are the right to enjoy and defend life ....' According to the Constitution, 'no person shall be deprived of any right [including the right to enjoy life] because of ... physical disability'" (WorldNetDaily.com, March 25, 2005).

As the Irish philosopher Edmund Burke once said, The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. In the case of Terri Schiavo, we have seen a lot of good men doing nothing in the face of threats from men whose hearts are set upon doing murder. Our responsibility as Christians is to do the following, "If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, 'Surely we did not know this,' Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds? (Proverbs 24:10-12)

Christians are the guardians of a free society. As the passage in Proverbs states, we are to be active, not passive, in that role. It is up to us to hold all government officials to the highest level of moral accountability. They hold their offices at our behest. If we do not demand better of them, who will? --Ken Ryland

The Shiavo Situation

A Growing Culture of Death--the Terri Schiavo Case
"Let her die," is the cry from the compassionate left. They offer many reasons including "state's rights," "husband's rights," death with dignity, quality of life, and of course, compassion. These reasons are not usually mentioned by the left in making their case for abortion. The noble reason offered for the killing of over 40,000,000 unborn innocents is usually "choice" and the woman's right over her own body and the unique life growing within it. "State's rights," "husband's rights," the unborn baby's rights, a dignified death for the baby, and its quality of life are apparently not to be considered in the argument over abortion. When it comes to putting to death the helpless, the left (largely secular liberals mostly found, politically speaking, in the Democratic Party) gets energized. Yet, when it comes to saving beasts and bugs the left seems to endorse extraordinary efforts. A contradiction in values?

"God is love," say the Apostle John (1Jn 4:16), and God models and defines love throughout his revelation to man. God says he "desires mercy." He requires man "To act justly and to love mercy" (Micah 6:8) and in his specific instructions on practicing justice and mercy he particularly mentions the vulnerable and weak in society. He tells us to protect the fatherless, the widow, the homeless and country-less of the world. He takes up the cause of those who have no standing and no resources to protect themselves. He warns mankind against taking advantage of the weak and depriving them of justice and respect.

"He [God] defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing" (Dt 10:18). How should we apply this Godly principle? He warns that he himself will judge those who abuse the weak. If we err in our judgment should we not err by trying too hard to save life, being patient in hope that health or healing may yet come? Poor Terri Schiavo is totally vulnerable and in need of continual feeding and care. Her loving parents wanted to continue ministering to her. What great harm was being done by allowing them to practice the very principles of care that God requires? Why should a judge command that feeding be stopped, letting her slowly die? Is that more just, more compassionate?

This may be a "grey" area with regard to the law, medicine, public opinion and politics, but I'm not convinced it is a grey area with God. I worry that this is one more crossed bridge on the road away from a culture of life. --Ken Westby

Church Shootings in Milwaukee Area
The killing of a church pastor and members of his congregation has been eclipsed by other news. Yet, within the Churches of God Pod, the murder of eight members of a Living Church of God congregation in Milwaukee, including its pastor, is still a hot item. Pod members are trying to work through the reasons for such a close-to-home tragedy.

It is rumored that at least one pastor in Living has suggested that the killing signals the beginning on the "Great Tribulation." To me, that idea is just plain ridiculous. To begin with, the hyperbolic verse most often quoted about "The great Tribulation" is found in Matthew 24:21 -- in a pericope that applies to the sacking of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD (verses 15-22). Secondly, to assume that a killing within a congregation is prophetically significant seems somewhat arrogant. It supposes that the denomination in which the killing took place is more significant to the Plan of God than any other group -- in fact, it assumes that it is the center of what God is doing on earth these days. This mentality is a toxic residue of earlier, worse, times within the old WCG.

What causes any individual to snap is anyone's guess. It could have happened anywhere, in any congregation, in a McDonald's, or in a post office. It happened later in a school. As they say, "still waters run deep." People harbor resentments. Pressures build up inside. A minor comment, a little ribbing, a sense of being put down once too often, an undeserved criticism -- just about anything -- can, in some people unleash a torrent of sudden, unpredictable, rage. In our time, you never know when someone, or some thing, is going to blow up in your face. The victims in the tragedy were not worse sinners than anyone else because this happened to them. They were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time -- victims of "time & chance" (cf. Ecclesiastes 9:11).