For the Love of God--Blood and Beer

Hebrews 9:22

Because all things are purged by blood in The Written Law, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

I belong to a loose confederation of Christian-minded beer drinkers. We are called "Beer and Theology" and meet once a month to take on a theological topic and to drink beer.

When I heard of the group, I thought to myself, "Baptist boys gone bad." Lancaster County is one of the most conservative places in the United States and fundamentalism, like the flu, is a strong strain. I am orthodox and Reformed but don't consider myself a Fundie. I don't dance--not because I have issues with it inciting lust or what not--I just can't dance.

I am white boy who is athletic and was a pretty decent basketball player, so I am not sure why I have no moves. Blame it on my older brother Mike who hated disco, and by inference dancing, during my formative dance development days. I feel very self-conscious. However, when I do cut loose. I make up for my lack of smoothness by sheer energy and raw sweat.

I have been surprised by the Beer and Theology group in that the people who come are all over the map theologically. Again, I thought it would be homegrown Lancaster Countians who have strayed into beer as  wayward sheep. But, that is not the case. Case of Beer, that is.

I am one of the more theologically conservative individuals in attendance. It is not what I expected and it has been a good lesson to keep in mind not to prejudge people. The last time we assembled, we had a deep discussion on whether a "Yay" on the resurrection of Jesus was and is a requirement to be a Christian. That is, can someone be a Christian without believing in the bodily raising of Christ from the dead, the firsfruits of creation type of deal?

This question is truly at the center of the Christian faith. There are other issues too like was Christ God and was his death substitutionary in regards to the Atonement? I suppose one could believe that Christ was raised without believing in his Deity or redemptive sacrifice. It would be weird and "what's the point" but it could be granted that Christ came back to life with really no additional meaning necessarily conveyed.

On Easter morning, my Dad (a skeptic) and I got in a discussion about the resurrection of Christ. He said that whether Christ was raised really was of no importance. It was the ideal and the archetype that mattered. I responded that the Apostle Paul did not give the option. He said that "If Christ was not raised, our faith was in vain." It is great when the Bible takes away the cards of non-believers, like God had not thought of that point.

What brought this discussion about was my Dad's request that we listen to a sermon suggested by his "girl-friend." They are are buddies, nothing more. Pushing 80, both of them. What was intriguing about the sermon was that the pastor was very erudite and educated, and orthodox, an odd admixture not common in the Blue State part of Pennsylvania. So, I found the sermon on my iPhone and that was my Easter Service before heading out to Valley Forge Park for a bike ride.

At the Beer and Theology meeting we had a good discussion and my Pastor made the key point. For all of the theological talk about the resurrection and assorted attendant issues where it can become very dry and doctrinal, Christ's purpose of coming to Earth was relational. To repair the rift in the Universe between God and Man, by the God-Man (as Anselm called Jesus). The Cross truly unifying that which was broken.

When we were talking about all of this, I had noticed that I had a red circular stain on my shirt from earlier in the day where I had not capped a red pen before sticking it in my shirt pocket. What had been a red dot expanded all over my shirt and undershirt the more I tried to clean it off with water.The red stain was right over my heart.

I was initially puzzled as to where the red had come from. I joked that it was my heart stigmata (the wounds of Christ being manifest in a Saint. Very Catholic). Some lady straightened me out that it was probably a pen stain and then I recalled that I had been running around all morning during testing with a red ink pen. Duh. No miracle there. Cancel the petition for sainthood to the Pope.

Yet, it did make me think a bit. Why did Christ decide to die for us? Some theological debate where God the Father needed to checkmate the Devil? A harsh game of who had the last move on the board? Yes maybe, but the motive was Love.

God loves us and love always has a cost. And the greater the love, the greater the cost.