the sum of all insignificance

If we were to total up all of the insignificant details of Christ's passion and resurrection, I believe we would have a very long and surprising list. That is to say, throughout the centuries it has been the custom of humanity to emphasize various pieces of the Gospels which never really mattered much in the first place. Yet somewhere in all of our pageant and tradition we have built up so much of what we think really matters. History, however, tends to tell a different tale. Let us examine one potential alarming fact to make this case.

Just about everyone who has ever heard about Jesus knows that he died via crucifixion. Those who know this probably also know that this event occured at a place known as Golgotha ("the skull"). Where and what is Golgotha? While our mind's eye conjures up images of high and lofty mountains suitable for such a magnanimous spiritual warfare (just like all those movies), it is striking to realize that it was nothing more than a rock quarry just outside of the city walls. The drilling and mining of all of this hard rock made the side appearances of this quarry look like a skull - hence the name. Since it was just outside of the city gates, it also fit well into the Roman practice of lining up it's executed along the road into the city as a warning to anyone who might be thinking of challenging them.

Scholars believe they have discovered this place. It is now best remembered as a bus station - a place of great historical significance that is now covered up by random comings and goings of all sorts of people. How many have so carelessly and thoughtlessly walked across this very sight which so many evangelicals seek to memorialize so deeply into their spiritual existence? But is that the point?

Are we searching so hard for a powerful image to show the magnitude of our God that we seek out power and prestige to attach to something he was so willing to go through powerlessly? In all of our searches for an astounding and impactful message we miss the absurdity and shock found in his one request from the cross: "Father, forgive them. . ."

Our search for power and justice keeps us from seeing the way things really are. And when we see deeper into him we not only find him for who he is. . .we find that we can see ourselves for who we really are. The sum of all insignificance is quite large when we calculate it from the perspective of the cross of Christ. Such a vantage point is what made Jesus' words possible. And it is why Paul said that he could throw away everything else that seemed to have mattered once before.

The sum of all insignificance leads to forgiveness.