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Scripture
3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. (Romans 6, ESV)
Commentary
I muse upon with pleasure, for it deeply resonates within me, “newness of life.” St. Paul integrates two images in the Romans 6 passage: immersion in water and burial in a tomb. The immersion is a symbol of drowning, the burial is a symbol of our demise. Both are joined with the theme of resurrection, or newness of life. From the watery grave we arise; from the dark tomb we walk forth.
In the theology of St. Paul, “death” and “life” is one redemptive act. St. Paul, mystical theologian he is, sees deeply into our union with and in Christ. In some way, only able to be symbolized and signed, we participate in the Christ Event, so that the death and resurrection are not past events as much as events now and in which we share with Christ. This is possible, for the Christ Event is not confined in linear time. In the Christ Event, Infinity acted out a drama of Love Giving in finiteness. This is why the efficacy of the Christ Event can extend prior to the First Century AD. In Infinity “prior to” does not exists, independently.
Baptism is the sign of entering mystical union with Christ. While a prior union exists between God and us, the efficaciousness and realization of union is an act of choice. And, Baptism of infants is a sign and anticipation of a later, conscious acceptance to live into Christ. Then, we spend the rest of life learning to live into Christ, for we have become one in Christ.
Eugene Peterson, in Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places, observes that the resurrection accounts in the four Gospels differ in several ways. Yet, one thing is shared by all four Gospels: wonderment. With newness of life, wonderment breaks in, and this can include fear, amazement, and enthusiasm. We are no longer content to live on the cheap, cheapening diet of sensual-only satisfactions. Likewise, sins of the spirit disturb us, for such counters our new disposition to Resurrection Living.
How do we live a Resurrection Life in a culture enamored with sensual delight to the extreme? We live in a society with the motto “Eat all you can,” and that does not just apply to food. Indeed, to seek to live rightly, we might be tempted at times to wonder what we are missing out on. We might feel our moral restraint is not worth it. We might be tempted to think, “Well, life is passing, and I’m not having near enough fun, but others seem to be having a very good time.” That is like saying, "Why should I not eat all I can eat, afterall, I'll die some day." These tempting thoughts can arise, especially during times when we feel trying to live well is not paying off. They often arise somewhere around midjourney.
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Peterson provides a remarkable insight about the followers of Jesus in the Gospels. “The first people involved in Jesus’ resurrection were totally involved in dealing with death; now they had to do a complete about-face and deal with life,” writes Peterson.
We can have many experiences of newness of life, and our baptism can be a sign for the continuing giving of that new life. The moments often follow a time of fallowness, when life does not seem to be working out for us. Maybe, we feel like life has practically died on us. Possibly, we are in a job, relationship, or other life situation that is deathly. Then, we experience, by Grace, a resurrection. We arise from the deadening situation. We are offered a new beginning.
Well, that is wonder-full! Really. Peterson reminds us, however, that living newness of life is not the same as receiving newness of life. We can be so well adjusted to the oldness of death that newness of life can feel like maladjustment. When we have been involved in dealing with death, we might find it frightening and disorienting dealing with life.
We need to be patient with ourselves, as well as with others, in learning to live Resurrection Life. The whole of the Christian life, indeed, is an adventure in learning to live out the sign of baptism.
Spiritual Exercise
1. Do you remember your baptism? If so, return there in the imagination and relive it, again.
2. If you do not remember your baptism, consider asking your spiritual leader to offer to lead you in a ceremony to reaffirm your baptism? Do this ceremony before the gathered congregation, for baptism is a communal sacrament.
3. Do you ever find yourself sabotaging opportunities and recreating deathly life situations? What might this indicate?
4. Are you in a deathly situation now that you need to arise from? I encourage you to pray about that matter, for wisdom and strength.
5. How might spiritual communities recreate deathliness, through avoidance of the demands of living newness of life? How might they sabotage the efforts of leaders and laity who are trying to model and teach a living in newness of life?
6. In what sense is the Resurrection the eighth day for those who choose to live into Christ?
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