A Man died for me

Last night I listened to Fr. Ed Fride’s Easter homily, I think from 2009. He is the pastor at Christ the King parish in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a fairly charismatic parish.

He is a great preacher. He does a phenomenal job of announcing God’s love for us. It is moving to hear him speak about God’s love because it’s clear he has a real personal knowledge of that love. But I think he misses a couple things.

1) I wonder why it is that I hardly ever hear a priest preaching about the fact that Jesus died for me, for you. Is it that it’s assumed that everyone knows this? I grew up Catholic with an active faith, but it wasn’t until October 29th, 2010 – when I was 27 years old – that I understood: A man died for me. Because of his preference for me. Given the choice either to lose me or die, he couldn’t stand the thought of losing me, so his preference was to die. And he did it.

Imagine if the person sitting next to you – in the car, at the dinner table, in the pew, wherever – imagine if that person gave his life to save yours. Died, for you. Because that person would prefer to die rather than to lose you. Given a choice, that simple preference would dictate that yes, I would rather die than lose you.

Or switch it around, imagine dying for the person next to you. If that person was a great man, a virtuous woman, your best friend, your son or mother, it would make sense to spend your life for them. On the other hand, if that person is a petty, prone to distraction, a sinner, selfish, self-absorbed, would you be able to die for him? Knowing, in all likelihood, he would use his freedom in terrible ways, would you die for him?

I wonder if the reason I never hear anyone talk about this is that it’s taken for granted, or if the import of the crucifixion isn’t understood. Fr. Ed mentioned the resurrection many times but didn’t mention the crucifixion. To be fair, I didn’t listen to his Good Friday homily and maybe he covered this there.

The unbelievable thing about Easter is that the Man who loved me so much that He gave his life for mine is alive again.

2) While he does a great job of preaching God’s love, Fr. Ed doesn’t spend any time on how a person, or he himself, can come to know that love. There’s not much focus on how it becomes reasonable to believe what he is telling us. Does one just choose to believe, a la Kierkegaard’s leap of faith? How does belief become reasonable?

3) There’s not much focus on experience. This goes back to point 2. Belief becomes reasonable if it’s founded on experience, on evidence. The need to focus on experience also applies from the perspective of one who has faith. What is the result of knowing there is a God who embraces me totally? How does knowledge of God’s love change the way that we face our work? Or suffering? How does faith change the way we face our desire? The facts that can answer these questions show the value of faith; they are the proof of the Resurrection.