Co-missioners,
We have two items for you this week. We got the first from Mike Hoy on Good Friday. Mike is our current text study editor. He’s also one among the millions who are increasingly dismayed, not to say appalled, by the directions being taken by the current U.S. administration. Mike dares here to take a quick theological look at what’s unfolding beneath the surface of what we’re seeing and hearing these days. And with the cross in view as he writes, he invites us all to take heart in Christ.
The second item comprises snippets from a piece that David Zahl of Mockingbird posted in his Facebook feed a few days ago. (We took the “Share” button at the bottom of that post as permission of sorts to pass some bits along. David, a speaker at Crossings conferences in 2018 and 2020, has just published his third book. It’s called The Big Relief. His first two books, Seculosity and Low Anthropology, were masterpieces of what we at Crossings call diagnosis. This new book promises to be a splendid example of down-to-earth prognosis—or so we gather. But more on this later when one of us is able to write a Crossings review.
Peace and Joy,
The Crossings Community
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A Word of Courage and Hope
by Michael Hoy
From Canva
President Trump and his administration are using power to squelch people—deporting those they find objectionable even as they continue to objectify the “others”; threatening the elderly and the infirm (among many others) with loss of services and income; rejecting and mocking our friends and allies; destroying any sense of economic balance and replacing it with practices that are leading us toward a painful global recession and potential depression; not allowing the critical cross-examination of the free press nor the critical thinking of universities; and all along shielding themselves from accountability, dismissing the very checks and balances that promote equality among the branches of government. We are on the brink of losing any remaining shreds we may have left of our American democracy, and are caving in toward much darker places such as tyranny and potential totalitarianism.
President Trump and his administration act with impunity. With his loyal supporters, the President behaves as if he were the emperor and lord of all—not only of the United States, but of the world.
I have very few doubts that the power-hungry shall face their own day of accountability, even as they are already being consistently challenged and criticized by the more courageous and faithful among us. For this current-day tyrant and his administration, as for those of old, I can only commend to them the Word of the Lord that speaks of their own impending critique at the hands of God:
“For the Lord has crushed your wicked power and broken your evil rule. You struck the people with endless blows of rage and held the nations in your angry grip with unrelenting tyranny. But finally the earth is at rest and quiet. Now it can sing again.” (Isa. 14:5-7)
“Can the prey be taken from the mighty, or the captives of a tyrant be rescued? But thus says the Lord: Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken, and the prey of the tyrant be rescued; for I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children. I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine. Then all flesh shall know that I am the Lord your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. (Isa. 49:24-26)
“Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. I shall repay.” (Rom. 12:19)
Nonetheless, our whole nation shall also face that final critical judgment. Every American, whether they have subscribed to MAGA or not, should consider the spiritual cost of our more violent words and actions, as well as our omission of compassionate and caring words and actions. We have failed to see our common humanity—not only in all of its (and our) sinful ugliness, but also for all of its (and our) promising redemption. Indeed, we do not truly welcome with arms of embrace and love all within our own nation, let alone all those within the whole vulnerable world.
What hope do we have, to give us courage? With fear and trembling, we dare to trust and take courage from the steadfast love of God in the midst of all such hostilities and impending judgment. And we dare to hope with and for all the poor and the oppressed together with all the faithful who face their times of trial, they shall find their strength in God’s steadfast love.
“Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.” (Isa. 41:10)
We have Christ’s word on it, even on the cross. And as our black brothers and sisters proclaimed with great hope in times of great distress and trial, “Sunday is coming!”
MH
Good Friday 2025
+ + +
Snippets from “Why I Wrote The Big Relief”
by David Zahl
David Zahl – Author
Posted in Facebook on April 29. Reposted on May 1 on the Mockingbird website.
- When I’m at a party and a stranger asks me what I do for living, I usually say I work for an organization that explores the intersection of grace and culture. Invariably they’re curious about what I mean by ‘grace’; it’ll be nice to have a short book to direct them toward, something with contemporary language and reference points that doesn’t presume too much knowledge of Christianity.
- Then there are the real reasons I wrote this book, which are riskier to admit. I’ve always suspected that any author who says they’re not writing to themselves on some level isn’t telling the truth. Yes, you write the book you want to see in the world, but its content is never accidental. Put another way, if I’m not hungry for the message I’m trying to convey, why would anyone else be?
- When I was a youth minister, a close colleague once said to me, “Dave, I finally get why you talk about grace so much. I’ve never met someone so under the law.” She was right. I feel the weight of Should intensely and always have. . . . My inner critic is not subtle. His voice is loud enough that those around me often pick up on the vibrations. While there’s nothing unique about any of this (I suspect plenty of people can relate) it goes some way toward accounting for the grace fixation.
- We are carrying so much these days, and the accelerating pressure to achieve, to improve, to be happy, to stand out, to thrive, only compounds the burden. . . . As the pressure ramps up, so too does the thirst for relief. The Christian faith addresses this thirst in tangible and radical ways, most profoundly via its conception of grace. The gospel makes the audacious, enlivening claim that a hope exists which transcends our ability to obstruct or avoid it.
- I guess what I’m saying is that the most acute spiritual condition of our day isn’t pride or privilege or power or even self-righteousness. It’s despair. . . . And I know of no more potent force/idea/reality when it comes to allaying true despair than the grace of God. It’s the best thing there is. Grace lends life its poetry and preciousness and much of its levity. It is a reason to keep breathing — and breathing deeply.
Chad Bird, now of 1517.org, was another speaker at our 2020 conference. For his review of David’s book, see here.
