“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” From 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
Futile and in Vain.
This is what Paul says about our life, and our faith, if we don’t have the resurrection at the center of our faith story. And it’s true! If we don’t believe that Christ died and was raised, how can we believe that any other resurrection is possible?
Can we believe that our sins are forgiven if Christ is not risen?
Can we believe that ‘it gets better’ if Christ is not risen?
Can we believe that there is hope for those suffering with addiction if Christ is not risen?
Can we believe that there is more to life for the kid growing up in a violent neighborhood, a 17 year old who gets locked up too young, or the woman who loses a child, if Christ is not risen?
As we as a Memorial Community focus our time and attention on the hard work of racial reconciliation, ‘un-Segregation’ and deconstructing white supremacy, we cannot forget that at the heart of this is the resurrection. Resurrection for us. For our parish community and for the city of Baltimore.
The call then to ‘justice’ here is not one of politics, or progressivism, or any cause, it is a call of faith. The faith that Christ died. And was raised, and that that same resurrection is available to all of us.