Tuesday: At the Sight of This . . . I Am Down
WEEK 6
TUESDAY
AT THE SIGHT OF THIS . . . I AM DOWN
1 Corinthians 1:20-24
We have been looking at the mastery of the eternal quest by the eternal finding. God cannot be found at the end of a syllogism—the way of logic and philosophy; nor at the end of a laborious and costly sacrifice—the way of priesthood; nor at the end of a long vigil of self-mutilation—the way of asceticism; nor at the end of a long and concentrated meditation—the way of the mystic; nor at the end of a long climb upward—the way of the seeker. God is found at the foot of the cross.
This is vividly put in the words of “T. V. K.,” the greatest living Tamil scholar. He has written more than sixty books, some of which have gone into twenty editions. He has now written a book which the Tamil literary critics say is his best. In the introduction he says:
Man somehow or other sins. He wants to get freedom from sin and suffering. The different religions of the world are attempts to wean men away from sin and give them freedom. But there is only one true way by which he can obtain his freedom from sin. That way is at the foot of the Cross where Christ is being nailed. Unless you are healed at that fountain there is no hope. I am not a Christian. No Christian padre ever taught me Christianity. Yet I tell you the truth. Go to the foot of the Cross or you perish.
Then he goes on and in the first lines of the book says:
I took delight in learning various languages, studying various religions and philosophies and in debating with everybody. In logic, in argument my opponents feared me and I was successful everywhere. But today I see a humble man stretched on the Cross and his enemies nailing him. This victim is saying: “Father, forgive them.” This was a new experience to me. At the sight of this gone is all my debate. I am down. . . . Various war lords drew their mighty swords and slew millions that they might live alone. They are all gone. Here is one who threw away the sword and was slain. He lives. Well, I have found the way to live. It lies at the feet of him who was slain and yet lives.*
So the eternal quest is not our search for God but God’s search for us. God’s quest and ours meet at the foot of the cross, where God finds us and we find God. The eternal quest ends, ends in finding and being found.
O Christ, we could not get to you so you came to us; come to us bearing our sins in your body. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: If God’s quest for me and my quest for God meet at the cross, then for me the cross forever.
* No published source was found for these quotations.