Rise, Rev. Ed's Unity interpretation of Jesus at Easter

Thought for the Week Rise! I was able to share Unity's take on the crucifixion and resurrection with an atheist last week. While I don't think it changed his mind, and I was not trying to do so anyway, I think he found the take to be different. Here it is for those who don't know. Crucifixion-We all have crucifixions, challenges, terrible times in our life. This is less about Jesus dying for our sins than it is that Jesus was teaching us how to deal with crucifixions and challenges. How so? If you read the Jesus story, you read that he was a teacher and lover, not a fighter. He spoke his truth (esp. against the religious leaders of his time) and when the time was appropriate, he practiced the very difficult spiritual concept called surrender. His revolution was his message of love and justice. He could have started another kind of revolution but instead chose to let the Truth win out and he did this by putting his life on the line, forgiving his accusers and surrendering rather than fighting. This may not be as "sexy" or dramatic a take on the crucifixion. Surrender is often seen as weak and fruitless. Nothing could be further from the Truth, in my opinion! And to forgive as Jesus did in that moment...priceless! This is the moral of the crucifixion, in my mind anyway. Resurrection: This can be about your literal belief that Jesus did bodily resurrect. Or not. That's up to you to believe. Some say he was resuscitated over the the three days, maybe on "Holy Saturday", or whatever the day of the week it was. I believe it is more about Jesus teaching us that we have an innate ability, a DIVINE or quantum ability to overcome any challenges and crucifixions. This is powerful, because whether you believe he bodily resurrected from death on Easter, or he was resuscitated, or whatever, he utilized his divine/quantum ability to rise. He taught that we too have the divine ability (God in us, The Christ, etc. whatever you call it personally) in us to support us in our challenges and crucifixions. He said, "these things I do you can do too and even greater." Because of this divine ability in humankind, I have hope for our race and that is ultimately what Jesus wanted to assist us with and what Easter is all about. And we don't have to wait until the "end times"...the change for good is happening right now. I believe Jesus would have wanted Easter to be more about us than him. So, resurrect from your crucifixion/challenge...Rise, baby!!!