Pour les chrétiens, en général, la résurrection désigne la
vie après la mort. Ce n’est peut-être pas faux, mais un peu étroit, limité,
voire pas très juste. La résurrection c’est plutôt la vie avec Dieu. Par
conséquent, c’est déjà possible maintenant, avant la mort. Nous avons été baptisés,
plongés avec le Christ dans la mort, pour avoir part à sa vie. « Ensevelis
avec lui lors du baptême, vous en êtes aussi ressuscités avec lui, parce que
vous avez cru en la force de Dieu qui l’a ressuscité des morts. Vous qui étiez
morts du fait de vos fautes et de votre chair incirconcise, Il vous a fait
revivre avec lui ! » (Col 2, 12-13). Paul n’écrit pas à des destinataires
outre-tombe, mais à des vivants, aux habitants de Colosse.
C’est pour cette vie que nous sommes disciples du Christ. Nous
ne sommes pas des épargnants pour une vie après la mort. C’est ici et
maintenant que nous avons soif de l’amour infini du Père. « Du moment donc que vous êtes
ressuscités avec le Christ », dit Paul un peu plus loin (3, 1).
Cette « petite » précision change un peu, beaucoup,
la donne. Nous sommes déjà ressuscités avec le Christ. Nous ne cherchons à
engranger des bons points pour une autre vie. Mais nous voulons ici et
maintenant vivre une vie nouvelle. Si la foi ne permet pas de transfigurer
cette vie, d’en faire un lieu de la présence de Dieu, elle risque de n’être
qu’une illusion ou une espérance, vaine de n’être pas vérifiable, efficace.
Etre baptisé, entrer dans la résurrection, c’est non pas
attendre une autre vie, éternelle, mais vivre cette vie comme éternelle. « Du
moment donc que vous êtes ressuscités avec le Christ, recherchez les choses
d'en haut, là où se trouve le Christ, assis à la droite de Dieu. Songez aux
choses d'en haut, non à celles de la terre. » (3, 1-2) Entendons-nous
bien, penser aux choses du ciel non pour déserter la terre mais pour faire de
la terre un ciel.
Que la terre soit un ciel, un paradis, voilà notre foi,
notre espérance, notre mission. Les quelques goûtes d’eau baptismale renferment
l’énormité d’une telle affirmation. En recevant le baptême, nous entrons dans
une communauté qui a reçu la mission de changer le monde.
C’est dangereux bien sûr. Surtout si cette communauté prend
le pouvoir. Certes, à côté des pires atrocités de la chrétienté, il y eut aussi
le secours des plus pauvres, la création des hospices, des écoles, des
universités, le droit d’asile et j’en passe. C’est dangereux aussi, parce que
si nous introduisons le ciel sur le terre, le ver est dans le fruit, les
injustices sont dénoncées. Tout système est déjà jugé. Nous en sommes les
accusateurs.
Mais changer le monde, introduire le ciel sur la terre n’est
possible qu’en dehors de toute revanche, projet de gouvernement ou volonté de
puissance. Ce n’est possible qu’à la suite de Jésus, dans la faiblesse, la
miséricorde, la tendresse. Ce n’est possible qu’en aimant ce monde aux pieds
duquel nous nous mettons, surtout quand il est pauvre ou pécheur. Etre baptisé,
être ressuscité avec le Christ, c’est avoir un projet politique, un projet pour
la cité, sans violence, avec l’amour, la tendresse, contre une terre qui
respire le sang d’Abel.
Le livre de la sagesse sait ce qui advient alors :
« Traquons le juste : il nous gêne, s’oppose à nos actions, nous
reproche nos manquements à la Loi et nous accuse d’être infidèles à notre
éducation. Il déclare posséder la connaissance de Dieu et il se nomme enfant du
Seigneur. Il est devenu un reproche vivant pour nos pensées et sa seule vue
nous est à charge. Car sa vie ne ressemble pas à celle des autres et sa
conduite est étrange. » (Sg 2, 12-15) Encore faudrait-il que nous demeurions
justes, de la justification baptismale.
Avec Jésus, c’est la condamnation du mal et déjà la victoire
de la justice. Cela change le cœur de l’homme, notre cœur. C’est une
conversion, comme lorsque l’on décide de recevoir le baptême. On ne change pas
de religion, mais de vie. Cela change la cité, c’est en ce sens, politique.
Nous sommes engagés à mettre le ciel sur la terre, à vivre en ressuscités, à
laisser la vie éternelle devenir la nôtre. Si nous vivons avec Dieu, la vie
éternelle a déjà commencé. Ressusciter, c’est vivre avec Dieu, d’abord aujourd’hui,
après la mort on verra.
« Aussi vous exultez de joie,
même s’il faut que vous soyez affligés, pour un peu de temps encore, par toutes
sortes d’épreuves » dit la première lettre de Pierre. Alors que nous
fêtons la résurrection du Seigneur, savourons notre joie, exultons, renouvelons
les promesses de notre baptême, au service d’un monde juste, sans violence,
empli de la tendresse du Père.
For many Christians, the idea of resurrection refers to what happens to life after death. It is perhaps not wrong, but it’s a bit narrow, limited in its view, and not very fair to Scriptures. What the idea of resurrection refers to is rather the life “with” God. Thus it is that resurrection is already possible in the now, before our very death and long before the last judgment. For we were baptized, that is immersed with Christ in death, so as to have a share in his risen life. "When you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and you were raised up with him because of your faith in God’s power. God’s power was shown when he raised Christ from death. You were spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were not free from the power of your sinful self. But God gave you a new life together with Christ. He forgave all our sins." (Col 2: 12-13). Paul does not write to recipients beyond the grave, but to living people, the people of Colossae.
It is for this life that we are disciples of Christ. We are not investors in some sort of “life after death” insurance policy. It is here and now that we thirst for the infinite love of the Father. "Given therefore that you have been raised with Christ," says Paul a little further (3, 1).
This "small" precision changes how we must apprehend resurrection quite a lot. We are already risen with Christ. We are not trying to earn enough points to win another life. We rather want to live a different sort of life already in the here and now. If faith does not allow us to transfigure this life, to make it a place of God's presence, that faith runs the risk of being a mere illusion or a vain hope, something which efficiency is incapable of any form of verification.
To be baptized and to thus partake into the risen life is not to wait for another, eternal, life. It is to live this life as eternal. "Given therefore that you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." (3: 1-2) Let’s be clear, this is about conducting our lives in accordance with heavenly standards, so that this earth could become heaven, it’s not about deserting this earth for some sort of lives on clouds with little harps in our hands.
That the earth may become a heaven, an Eden, this is our faith, our hope, our mission. The few drops of baptismal water contain the enormity of such a statement. By receiving baptism, we enter a community that has received the mission to change the world.
It's dangerous of course. Especially if the community takes power! Although besides all the awful atrocities that Christianity in power has committed, there was also the relief of the poor, the creation of hospices, schools, and universities, the invention of the right of asylum, etc. But it’s dangerous also in another way, because living by heavenly standards leads us to denounce injustice, making us social pains in the neck. Yet all social systems (all kingdoms) are judged. And we are called to be their accusers.
But changing the world, bringing heaven on earth, becomes possible only when we manage to do it without any resentment or desire for revenge, without any desire to coerce people or to acquire power for ourselves. Changing the world in a Christian way becomes only possible when we follow Jesus, i.e.: along his path of weakness, mercy and tenderness. It only becomes possible if we love that world enough to become its servants, especially if we are dealing with a poor man or a sinner. To be baptized, to be raised with Christ, is to have a non-violent, loving and tender political project for a land from which the blood of Abel is still crying out to God from the ground.
The book of wisdom knows full well what will happen to us if we start doing that: "Righteous people are nothing but a nuisance, so let's look for chances to get rid of them. They are against what we do; they accuse us of breaking the Law of Moses and violating the traditions of our ancestors. They claim to know God, and they call themselves the Lord's children. We can't stand the sight of people like that; what they are contradicts our whole way of thinking. They are not like other people; they have strange ways." (Wisdom 2: 12-15) But for this to happen, we would need to remain true to our baptismal righteousness.
With Jesus, evil is already condemned and justice victorious. That’s what changes the heart of man, our hearts. It's a conversion, as when one decides to be baptized. In so doing, we do not change our religion, we change our lives. And because this has the effect of changing our communities, it is (in this sense) political. We are committed to bringing heaven to earth, to live as already raised ones, to let eternal life become our own life. If we remain with God and true to Him, then eternal life has already begun. To be raised is to already live with God today, and as for after our death, we'll see.
"That’s why you should be filled with joy, even though you must suffer at the same time different kinds of troubles for a short while still" (1 Peter 1:6) says the First Letter of Peter. As we celebrate the Lord's resurrection, let’s savor our joy, let’s exult and renew the promises of our baptism, in order to be ever more committed to the bringing about of a better world, without violence and full of the tender love of the Father.
Translation Jean-François Garneau
For many Christians, the idea of resurrection refers to what happens to life after death. It is perhaps not wrong, but it’s a bit narrow, limited in its view, and not very fair to Scriptures. What the idea of resurrection refers to is rather the life “with” God. Thus it is that resurrection is already possible in the now, before our very death and long before the last judgment. For we were baptized, that is immersed with Christ in death, so as to have a share in his risen life. "When you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and you were raised up with him because of your faith in God’s power. God’s power was shown when he raised Christ from death. You were spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were not free from the power of your sinful self. But God gave you a new life together with Christ. He forgave all our sins." (Col 2: 12-13). Paul does not write to recipients beyond the grave, but to living people, the people of Colossae.
It is for this life that we are disciples of Christ. We are not investors in some sort of “life after death” insurance policy. It is here and now that we thirst for the infinite love of the Father. "Given therefore that you have been raised with Christ," says Paul a little further (3, 1).
This "small" precision changes how we must apprehend resurrection quite a lot. We are already risen with Christ. We are not trying to earn enough points to win another life. We rather want to live a different sort of life already in the here and now. If faith does not allow us to transfigure this life, to make it a place of God's presence, that faith runs the risk of being a mere illusion or a vain hope, something which efficiency is incapable of any form of verification.
To be baptized and to thus partake into the risen life is not to wait for another, eternal, life. It is to live this life as eternal. "Given therefore that you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." (3: 1-2) Let’s be clear, this is about conducting our lives in accordance with heavenly standards, so that this earth could become heaven, it’s not about deserting this earth for some sort of lives on clouds with little harps in our hands.
That the earth may become a heaven, an Eden, this is our faith, our hope, our mission. The few drops of baptismal water contain the enormity of such a statement. By receiving baptism, we enter a community that has received the mission to change the world.
It's dangerous of course. Especially if the community takes power! Although besides all the awful atrocities that Christianity in power has committed, there was also the relief of the poor, the creation of hospices, schools, and universities, the invention of the right of asylum, etc. But it’s dangerous also in another way, because living by heavenly standards leads us to denounce injustice, making us social pains in the neck. Yet all social systems (all kingdoms) are judged. And we are called to be their accusers.
But changing the world, bringing heaven on earth, becomes possible only when we manage to do it without any resentment or desire for revenge, without any desire to coerce people or to acquire power for ourselves. Changing the world in a Christian way becomes only possible when we follow Jesus, i.e.: along his path of weakness, mercy and tenderness. It only becomes possible if we love that world enough to become its servants, especially if we are dealing with a poor man or a sinner. To be baptized, to be raised with Christ, is to have a non-violent, loving and tender political project for a land from which the blood of Abel is still crying out to God from the ground.
The book of wisdom knows full well what will happen to us if we start doing that: "Righteous people are nothing but a nuisance, so let's look for chances to get rid of them. They are against what we do; they accuse us of breaking the Law of Moses and violating the traditions of our ancestors. They claim to know God, and they call themselves the Lord's children. We can't stand the sight of people like that; what they are contradicts our whole way of thinking. They are not like other people; they have strange ways." (Wisdom 2: 12-15) But for this to happen, we would need to remain true to our baptismal righteousness.
With Jesus, evil is already condemned and justice victorious. That’s what changes the heart of man, our hearts. It's a conversion, as when one decides to be baptized. In so doing, we do not change our religion, we change our lives. And because this has the effect of changing our communities, it is (in this sense) political. We are committed to bringing heaven to earth, to live as already raised ones, to let eternal life become our own life. If we remain with God and true to Him, then eternal life has already begun. To be raised is to already live with God today, and as for after our death, we'll see.
"That’s why you should be filled with joy, even though you must suffer at the same time different kinds of troubles for a short while still" (1 Peter 1:6) says the First Letter of Peter. As we celebrate the Lord's resurrection, let’s savor our joy, let’s exult and renew the promises of our baptism, in order to be ever more committed to the bringing about of a better world, without violence and full of the tender love of the Father.
Translation Jean-François Garneau
Des Rameaux à Pâques - pour ne citer que la semaine qui s'achève - des textes nourrissants venus du cerveau, du cœur et du clavier de PR. Merci ! Un seul regret de ma part : qu'il n'y ait pas de commentaires de lecteurs. Car de lecteurs, j'ose croire qu'il en existe. Sont-ils indifférents ? ou trop impressionnés par la science, le caractère sacré (volens nolens) de l'auteur ou son audace théologique ? A chaque texte, j'ai envie d'ajouter mon grain de sel de mécréant, quitte à me faire promptement remettre à ma place comme d'hab', mais cela ne me trouble pas. Je suis gêné en revanche de me sentir bien seul à réagir. Alors je m'abstiens le plus souvent, bien conscient que cela ne manque à personne. Au soir du Passage et de la Résurgence, bonne fête !
RépondreSupprimerMerci.
SupprimerDe fait, peu de commentaires. Quelques uns sur Facebook.
Aujourd'hui, j'en ai reçu un à propos d'un texte ancien sur Vatican II. Je n'ai pas osé le publier. Mais je le recopie ici, tel quel. Les fautes sont celles du message tel qu'envoyé. (Bien sûr ce n'est pas signé.)
Anonyme a ajouté un nouveau commentaire sur votre article "L'Eglise d'après Vatican II" :
Vatican II à remplis sa mission œcuménique en vidant pratiquement toutes les églises de ses fidèles ! Ces derniers, sans doute, sont-ils partis prêcher à l'extérieur de temple auprès des infidèles ? il n'y a plus besoin d'aller aux antipodes, comme les jésuites l'ont fait, du XVIe siècle jusqu'à peu, pour évangéliser les peuples ignares (?) : les infidèles sont à nos portes, dans nos rues et nos écoles... Ça ne va pas être facile de les convaincre de venir remplir nos lieux cultuels désertés ! Ce peuple "français" de l'ombre est une 5e colonne en marche. Mais chut ! Circulez, il n'y a rien à voir... rien à raconter. "J'en perds mon latin" n'est pas une citation d'Auguste-Hilarion Kératry (1844) comme on peut le croire, mais une expression que l'on doit à nos bons papes des années soixante.