the scandal of Christ

do you ever have those days where you hear a word that you're not familiar with and then it seems like you hear it everywhere you turn? well, i do. often, actually. which is proof that i am vocab-challenged or that i spend way too much time listening to other people's conversations ;o)

so in...pee-wee herman fashion...the word of the day (in my little world) is...collusion (ko-lu-shun). i heard it on the radio this afternoon and then it was on the news and then audrey tautou used it in an interview?! strange. i suppose it hit me the hardest when someone whose native tongue isn't even english used my word of the day! aye. was i just completely narcoleptic during sixth grade english class or something?

according to merriam-webster, a collusion is a "secret agreement or cooperation especially for an illegal or deceitful purpose" hmmm.

at first glance, i would conclude that the reason i find myself unfamiliar with this term is because i don't tend to engage in many collusive conversations. but the irony is that the original place i heard the word was on the radio when hank hanagraf used the term "collusive" in reference to some people's speculations on the resurrection of Christ.

some people suppose that the resurrection of Christ was a collusive collaboration of underground cultish Christ-followers. their zealot tendencies inclined them to become impassioned about this Christ who claimed He would tear down the temple, set up His kingdom over all kingdoms and finally fulfill the nagging "law" of the jews. the tantalizing story of this same Christ denying his death-sentence, carried out by the forceful romans, would sensationalize their cause and bring in supporters from every oppressed region of the middle-east and mediterranean.

unfortunately, most people won't die for a collusive movement that is founded on legend. but these so-called zealots were burned at the stake, fed to the lions and crucified in much the same manner as Christ Himself, because they refused to deny their belief.

they believed the resurrection of Christ was more than a story, and they were convinced it was a Truth that could not remain untold.





do i live with such passion for Christ?






do people see me and wonder what i'm up to? or do my actions leave me blending in with the massive majority?

maybe its time i became a little more familiar with the early founders of Christ's movement on our humble planet. because there's nothing ordinary about being a Christ-follower...some might even say its downright collusive ;o)