It is accomplished

It's Good Friday.
1,973 years ago a bunch of paranoid Jews talked the Romans into nailing a young radical to a cross. So the story goes.

This time of year I always find myself thinking deep thoughts about JC, religion, god, all those good things. I can't escape it. The passion is deeply ingrained in me. I am the son of a preacher man, after all. I spent my formative years heavily involved in the church.

As a young adult I remained involved. Acolyte. Lay reader. Youth group leader. I even considered the priesthood. I've felt the calling, but I was never really sure what to make of that.

I fell away from the church. Ironically enough, it was the intensity of my faith in Christ that drove me away from being a Christian. It's been a long time since I've read the Good Book, but from what I do recall, there's very little in common between what JC preached and what exists today as Christianity. I had a problem with that.

There were a good number of years where I really struggled with my faith. Then my mind opened to new perspectives. That allowed me to gain an understanding of faith, of JC, of mythology, of life.

It doesn't really matter if Jesus was divine. It doesn't even matter if he was real. What does matter is it's a good story. A good example to live by.

Faith doesn't have to be blind.

This year, once again, I meditate, mull, ponder and bullshit about matters of faith. I may not go to church on Easter, but I think god would be pleased that I'm thinking. I have a personal relationship with what passes for faith with me. I don't mindlessly recite text while dressed in a suit. But, I am conversing with, at the very least, myself.

I'm 33 this year. That gives me some pause. Jesus and I are the same age. I have a hard time imagining myself in his shoes. Then again, I'm not the son of god. Still, me... hanging on a cross to save the people I see every day?

I'll say this: Jesus, I don't know if you were the son of god or not. You might have been the messiah, you might have been a mere man. Either way, you were the fucking bomb. To believe enough to die for the fuckers on this planet called people, that's something else.

I salute you, dude.