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Why did an instrument of death become the symbol of Christianity? Death is the greatest enigma of the human condition. All we have built up for years and years, all that is beautiful in human life, seems to go up in smoke in the space of a moment. And then, at the very centre of the Christian faith, we find the symbol of a violent death. In fact, from the beginning, death has never been at the centre of the Gospel. Faith begins with the proclamation of a Life more powerful than death: “He is risen!” It is in the light of the resurrection that death takes its place in the Christian scheme of things. Contemplated in this light, death changes its significance. Without confidence in a Life greater than death, human beings remain paralyzed by fear, frozen on the edge of an abyss that they dare not face directly. But by consenting to give his life for love because he was borne by the certainty of an unbreakable communion with his Father, Christ took from death its “sting” (1 Corinthians 15:55), the fear of nothingness: “by dying he freed all those who had been held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death” (Hebrews 2:14-15). In the company of Christ, then, dying can become a language able to express the total gift of self. By his existence, Jesus taught us “the law of the wheat grain”: “Unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). This “law” applies not only to physical death. It tells us rather that the road to Life inevitably involves a letting go, a refusal to cling at all costs to what we have achieved in order to journey with God towards what lies ahead of us and what is beyond all our hopes. We bear within us a life-giving seed that remains and blossoms in spite of everything. In this sense, the first “death” we experience is our birth, when we leave behind the haven of our mother’s womb to confront the harsh realities of existence. Then, in the history of salvation, we have the example of Abraham, called to leave the world he knows to set out on an adventure with the Lord (see Genesis 12:1-4). Later on, we find the example of the people of Israel, required to pass through the wilderness with its inevitable trials to reach the Promised Land. The cross is thus the total revelation of the true movement of life: “Whoever tries to preserve their life will lose it, and who loses it will keep it safe” (Luke 17:33). Paradoxically, then, true death, in the negative sense of the term, is the refusal to risk one’s life with God. Those who wish to “preserve” or “save” their life at all costs, those who cling to what they already possess, are in danger of understanding nothing about authentic life. The cross of Christ reveals a way of dying that does not contradict the logic of life. In Christ’s company we realize that cross and resurrection are the two sides, the dark side and the bright side, of one and the same Love, of one and the same Life. Can the sufferings of an innocent person save us? A recent film poses this question in a dramatic way. We know that Jesus died an atrocious death. Crucifixion was one of the worst tortures of the ancient world as well as, for the Jews, a sign of God’s rejection (Deuteronomy 21:23; Galatians 3:13). The New Testament, however, views the cross not as a failure or a condemnation, but as the instrument of our salvation (e.g. Galatians 6:14; Colossians 1:20). It is not surprising that people have always found it hard to understand how such a horrible event could have such positive consequences. In fact, this incomprehension is rooted in a misunderstanding that needs to be brought clearly to light. For centuries, this misunderstanding has had devastating effects and has resulted in many people being unable to believe in Christ. It consists in the notion that Jesus’ suffering as such has salvific value. In other words, God the Father required this suffering, which implies that in him there is in some sense a complicity with the violence done to his only Son. It is almost enough to formulate this thesis clearly to realize that it is not only false, but a blasphemy. If God does not wish even the wicked to suffer and die (Ezekiel 33:11), how could he take pleasure in the destruction of his beloved Son, the most innocent of all? On the contrary, we need to repeat over and over again that suffering in itself has no value in God’s eyes. Still more, to the extent that they damage what is living, pain and distress are in flagrant contradiction with a good God who wants the fullness of life for all (John 10:10). Where does this misunderstanding come from, then? Among other things, from an overly superficial reading of biblical texts which are in fact shortcuts. This reading ignores the middle term, which is love. Only love can give life; only love can save us. If suffering has no value in itself, being more often than not destructive, there are times when, to keep on loving faithfully, we are led to accept incomprehensible suffering. The New Testament texts that seem to exalt suffering in reality celebrate the love of God which goes to the point of the total gift of self in favor of the loved one. Saint John reminds us of this in no uncertain terms when he writes, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for those one loves” (John 15:13). In the phrase “Christ suffered for you” (1 Peter 2:21), for example, it is the “for you” that expresses the middle term, the presence of love. In his Son, God espoused the human condition to the point of taking the last place out of love; the cross is thus the expression of an absolute solidarity (see Philippians 2:6-8). And when Saint Paul writes that he shares the sufferings of Christ (e.g. 2 Corinthians 1:5; Philippians 3:10; Colossians 1:24), he is expressing his desire, in the steps of Christ, to give himself for others without holding anything back. Because Christ took upon himself the sufferings of our condition for love, these sufferings can be lived not as a punishment that we deserve or a blind and absurd destiny, but as an encounter with Love and a road to Life. Letter from Taizé: 2004/3
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Zašto je instrument smrti postao simbolom kršćanstva? Smrt je najveća zagonetka ljudskoga stanja. Sve što smo godinama gradili, sve što je lijepo u ljudskom životu, čini se da se u trenutku gubi kao dim u zraku. I onda, u samom središtu kršćanske vjere nalazimo simbol nasilne smrti. U stvari, od samoga početka, smrt nikada nije u središtu Evanđelja. Vjera počinje navještajem Života snažnijeg od smrti: «On je uskrsnuo!» Tek u svjetlu uskrsnuća smrt zauzima svoje mjesto u kršćanskom navještaju. Razmatrana u tom svjetlu, smrt mijenja svoje značenje. Bez povjerenja u Život koji je veći od smrti, čovjek ostaje paraliziran strahom, sleđen na rubu ponora s kojim se ne usudi izravno suočiti. Prihvaćajući dati svoj život iz ljubavi, utvrđen u sigurnosti neraskidivog zajedništva s Ocem, Krist je smrti oduzeo «žalac» (1 Korinćanima 15,55), strah od ništavila: «svojom smrću on oslobodi one koji, od straha pred smrću, kroza sav život bijahu podložni ropstvu» (Hebrejima 2,14-15). U Kristovoj pratnji, stoga, smrt može postati jezikom koji je u stanju izraziti potpuno sebedarje. Svojim nas je postojanjem Isus učio «zakonu o pšeničnom zrnu»: «Ako pšenično zrno, pavši na zemlju, ne umre, ostaje samo: ako li umre, donosi obilat rod» (Ivan 12,24). Taj se «zakon» ne odnosi samo na tjelesnu smrt. On nam više govori kako put u Život neizbježno uključuje odricanje, odbijanje da se pod svaku cijenu zadrži ono što smo stekli, kako bi putovali s Bogom prema onome što nam predstoji i što nadilazi svaku nadu. Mi u sebi nosimo sjeme što daje život koje ostaje i cvjeta unatoč svemu. U tom je smislu prva «smrt» koju doživljavamo - naše rođenje kad moramo napustiti raj majčine utrobe i suočiti se s grubim stvarnostima postojanja. Zatim u povijesti spasenja imamo primjer Abrahama, pozvanog da napusti poznati mu svijet i krene u pustolovinu s Gospodinom (vidi Postanak 12,1-4). Nakon toga nalazimo primjer izraelskog naroda koji mora proći kroz pustinju i neizbježne kušnje kako bi stigao u Obećanu zemlju. Križ je tako potpuno otkriće istinskoga životnog kretanja: «Tkogod bude nastojao život svoj sačuvati, izgubit će ga, a tko ga izgubi, živa će ga sačuvati» (Luka, 17,33). Stoga je, paradoksno, prava smrt, u negativnom smislu riječi, odbijanje riskirati svoj život s Bogom. Oni koji žele «zadržati» ili «sačuvati» svoj život pod svaku cijenu, oni koji se slijepo drže onoga što već posjeduju, u opasnosti su da ne shvate ništa od istinskog života. Križ Kristov otkriva način umiranja koji ne proturječi logici života. U Kristovoj pratnji shvaćamo da su križ i uskrsnuće dvije strane, tamna i svijetla, jedne te iste Ljubavi, jednog te istog Života. Može li nas spasiti patnja nevina čovjeka? Nedavno je snimljeni film to pitanje postavio na dramatičan način. Znamo da je Krist umro na strašan način. Raspeće je bilo jedno od najgorih mučenja staroga svijeta kao i, za Židove, znak Božjeg odbacivanja (Ponovljeni zakon 21,23; Galaćanima 3,13). Novi zavjet, pak, ne promatra križ kao neuspjeh ili osudu, već kao instrument našeg spasenja (npr. Galaćanima 6,14; Kološanima 1,20). Ne iznenađuje kako su ljudi oduvijek imali teškoća shvatiti kako tako strašni događaj može imati tako pozitivne posljedice. To je shvaćanje u stvari ukorijenjeno u krivom shvaćanju koje je potrebno osvijetliti. Stoljećima je to krivo shvaćanje imalo razorne učinke i posljedicu da brojni ljudi nisu mogli vjerovati u Krista. U njemu je shvaćanje da je Isusova patnja kao takva spasonosna. Drugim riječima, da je Bogu Ocu patnja bila potrebna, što na neki način podrazumijeva njegovo suučesništvo u nasilju sprovedenom nad njegovim jedinim Sinom. Gotovo je sama jasna formulacija te postavke dostatna za shvaćanje kako je ona ne samo kriva, već i bogohulna. Ako Bog ne želi ni bezbožnikovu patnju i smrt (Ezekiel 33,11), kako bi onda uživao u uništenju svoga ljubljenoga sina, najnevinijeg od sviju? Naprotiv, uvijek nam je iznova ponavljati kako patnja u sebi nema vrijednosti u očima Božjim. Štoviše, ukoliko uništavaju život, bol i patnja su u izravnoj suprotnosti s dobrim Bogom koji želi puninu života sviju (Ivan 10,10). Odakle onda dolazi to krivo tumačenje? Između ostalog, iz površnog čitanja biblijskih tekstova, u stvari kratica. Takvo čitanje zapostavlja središnji pojam, Ljubav. Samo ljubav može darovati život; samo nas ljubav može spasiti. Ako patnja u sebi nema vrijednosti i češće je destruktivna nego što drugo, postoje trenuci kada, kako bismo i dalje vjerno ljubili, moramo prihvatiti nerazumljivu patnju. Tekstovi novoga zavjeta koji naizgled uzvisuju patnju zapravo slave ljubav Božju koja ide do krajnjega sebedarja za ljubljenu osobu. Sveti nas Ivan na to jasno podsjeća kada piše: «Veće ljubavi nitko nema od ove: da tko život svoj položi za svoje prijatelje» (Ivan 15,13). U izreci «Krist je za vas trpio» (1 Petrova 2,21) «za vas» izražava središnji pojam, prisutnost ljubavi. U svome Sinu, Bog je obgrlio ljudsko stanje do te mjere da je iz ljubavi stao na posljednje mjesto; križ je tako izraz potpune solidarnosti (vidi Filipljanima 2,6-8). I kada sveti Pavao piše kako dijeli patnju Kristovu (npr. 2 Korinćanima 1,5; Filipljanima 3,10; Kološanima 1,24), on izražava želju da se nasljedujući Krista daruje za druge bez zadrške. Jer je Krist na sebe iz ljubavi preuzeo patnju našega stanja, ta se patnja da živjeti, ne kao zaslužena kazna ili slijepa i besmislena sudbina, već kao susret s Ljubavlju i put u Život. Pismo iz Taizéa: 2004./3