When resurrection is only about tombs, it stays stuck in cemeteries. But when it’s about transformation, it moves into traffic, grocery lines, and kitchen sinks.
Adam Miller gets it right. The idols that die are the ones we built to hide our weakness. And the miracle is that what rises in their place looks more human, not less.
Blessed be the ones who stop pretending not to need grace, who trade polish for presence, and let something holy breathe through the cracks.
When I woke up this morning and saw the topic you planned to discuss this week, I immediately felt a sense of connection—almost like, “Yes, this is exactly how I see things!” It can be very difficult to connect with others when your perspective begins to expand and shift. The path of spiritual growth is often beautiful, but it can also be very lonely. The concept of Resurrection—not from a literal standpoint, but as something deeper—was introduced to me a few months ago, and it completely changed the way I think. My own faith journey has been both beautiful and painful. The beauty comes from having my vision and perspective widened, which has brought me peace. The pain comes from realizing how far my own faith tradition feels from the “new eyes” I now see through, and trying to share this with others can feel very isolating.
I could go on and on about how I now interpret words like “church,” “temple,” “resurrection,” “sin,” and “life after death.” However, I often feel like I lack the vocabulary to fully explain what I carry in my heart. My understanding of Resurrection deepened when I encountered Elaine Pagels. She wrote the introduction to Living Buddha, Living Christ and studied the Gnostic Gospels while at Harvard. This led me to read Why Religion?, The Gospel of Thomas (an especially beautiful text), and The Gnostic Gospels. These works opened my eyes to how the Christian creeds were formed and how Pagels weaves in wisdom from other traditions. What struck me most from the Gnostic Gospels was the idea that Resurrection can mean renewal and rebirth in this life. Even more moving was the suggestion that those who “saw” Christ may have experienced a type of spiritual transfiguration. Although I struggle to articulate this fully—especially since I listened to the book rather than read it directly—the experience of this idea was profoundly beautiful.
Recently, I also listened to a two-part podcast on the afterlife from the Vedic-Hindu tradition (see below for the links), which dates back more than 2,000 years (Shunya, n.d.-a, n.d.-b). The speaker explained the five phases of the afterlife in such a meaningful way that it reminded me how vast and mysterious this subject truly is. It made me realize that human understanding of the afterlife is still so limited, and sometimes the way church leaders attempt to explain it—such as through the framework of the “three degrees of glory”—can actually cause more harm than good.
Thank you for taking the time to listen to these reflections.
Now that’s a sermon I can get behind.
When resurrection is only about tombs, it stays stuck in cemeteries. But when it’s about transformation, it moves into traffic, grocery lines, and kitchen sinks.
Adam Miller gets it right. The idols that die are the ones we built to hide our weakness. And the miracle is that what rises in their place looks more human, not less.
Blessed be the ones who stop pretending not to need grace, who trade polish for presence, and let something holy breathe through the cracks.
Hi Ladies,
When I woke up this morning and saw the topic you planned to discuss this week, I immediately felt a sense of connection—almost like, “Yes, this is exactly how I see things!” It can be very difficult to connect with others when your perspective begins to expand and shift. The path of spiritual growth is often beautiful, but it can also be very lonely. The concept of Resurrection—not from a literal standpoint, but as something deeper—was introduced to me a few months ago, and it completely changed the way I think. My own faith journey has been both beautiful and painful. The beauty comes from having my vision and perspective widened, which has brought me peace. The pain comes from realizing how far my own faith tradition feels from the “new eyes” I now see through, and trying to share this with others can feel very isolating.
I could go on and on about how I now interpret words like “church,” “temple,” “resurrection,” “sin,” and “life after death.” However, I often feel like I lack the vocabulary to fully explain what I carry in my heart. My understanding of Resurrection deepened when I encountered Elaine Pagels. She wrote the introduction to Living Buddha, Living Christ and studied the Gnostic Gospels while at Harvard. This led me to read Why Religion?, The Gospel of Thomas (an especially beautiful text), and The Gnostic Gospels. These works opened my eyes to how the Christian creeds were formed and how Pagels weaves in wisdom from other traditions. What struck me most from the Gnostic Gospels was the idea that Resurrection can mean renewal and rebirth in this life. Even more moving was the suggestion that those who “saw” Christ may have experienced a type of spiritual transfiguration. Although I struggle to articulate this fully—especially since I listened to the book rather than read it directly—the experience of this idea was profoundly beautiful.
Recently, I also listened to a two-part podcast on the afterlife from the Vedic-Hindu tradition (see below for the links), which dates back more than 2,000 years (Shunya, n.d.-a, n.d.-b). The speaker explained the five phases of the afterlife in such a meaningful way that it reminded me how vast and mysterious this subject truly is. It made me realize that human understanding of the afterlife is still so limited, and sometimes the way church leaders attempt to explain it—such as through the framework of the “three degrees of glory”—can actually cause more harm than good.
Thank you for taking the time to listen to these reflections.
Shunya, A. (n.d.-a). The five phases of the Vedic afterlife journey (Part 1) [Podcast]. Sounds True. https://resources.soundstrue.com/podcast/acharya-shunya-the-five-phases-of-the-vedic-afterlife-journey-part-1/
Shunya, A. (n.d.-b). The five phases of the Vedic afterlife journey (Part 2) [Podcast]. Sounds True. https://resources.soundstrue.com/podcast/acharya-shunya-the-five-phases-of-the-vedic-afterlife-journey-part-2/