“For us and for our salvation”, the Nicene Creed says, the Logos pitched its tent among us.[1] When we are confronted with this Christianity that “offers us a narrative and says: now, believe!”,[2] believe what? That is to say, what connections am I to make when, say, I read the Gospel of Mark for the first time?
Let us start with “for us”. Not against us, as so many contemporary apocalyptic Christians describe Christ’s return, destroying all people but them in a final vengeful holocaust. This concupiscent image is perhaps to justify a violent version of the reason for the Incarnation itself — God needing to provide a sacrificial human to propitiate the divine anger by his rejection, torture and horrid death.
No! The Word became human for us, on our behalf, and intending us good. “The beginning of the good news…” is how Mark starts his gospel. It would be bad news indeed if the evangelist went on to tell the story of that god whom our original ancestors angered by their refusal to honor it and so, rather than destroy us in a fit of divine indignation, chooses to abuse and kill its Child rather than abuse and kill us. Now we had better honor it or the god will send us to damnation in hell, to be given over to the demons and tortured by fire forever and ever.
