We trust Jesus because of his suffering and its transcendent aftermath, and because he spoke from a passionate addiction to truth that is the only kind of addiction that sets us free. Religion itself is laid bare, not just one denomination. The corruption of the best is the worst, and so deserves the highest level of exposure and condemnation. You are all brothers and sisters—how are we going to square that uneconomic idealism with the need for hierarchy and privilege masquerading as service and humility? Jesus is so radically disruptive. How can we domesticate him, how can the Church put a spin on this disturbing so-called "good" news that turns the world as we know it—and our minds as we use them—upside down? That’s easy too. Create systems that have the labels of truth but not the healing touch of the truth. Then idolize the systems. How can we resist this inevitable tendency to the counterrevolutionary? If you don’t know yet, let’s pray this Lent will teach you as you learn how radical meditation really is.
