[Sundaycommunity] “Death has lost its sting” - Embracing Resurrection and Transcendence

[Arthur Blomme]

My reflection for this Easter.


  “Death has lost its sting” - Embracing Resurrection and Transcendence

We gather this Easter in the shadow of a world fraught with fear, where 
the drums of war and genocide beat loudly. The specter of death looms 
over us as we blind ourselves to the malevolence of the powers and 
principalities.

Yet, amidst this turmoil, we hold fast to the Apostle Paul’s profound 
declaration: “Death has lost its sting,” a statement that encapsulates 
transcendence as the essence of the resurrection.

The resurrection is the act that transforms the narrative of death into 
a narrative of life; from one of defeat, to one of victory. It is not 
confined to an event in history but is an ongoing reality that elevates 
us beyond the limitation of our status quo perspective of reality.

In times of conflict and uncertainty, the fear of death can be a 
powerful tool in the hands of those who seek to control and manipulate. 
It is a sting that pricks the heart, sowing division and despair.We can 
observe in our midst that people of good faith are polarized by 
narratives promoting war and hate.As a friend has said each side of the 
polarized political factions is convinced that the “other side” is 
hurtling toward fascism.

Our instinct for survival moves all of creation away from the spectre of 
death.A single celled organism shuts down its creative energies to 
protect itself from the toxicity. Members of the animal kingdom when 
they perceive danger automatically focus on fight or flight. In the 
absence of danger they grow and flourish in the land.

Humans on the other hand are semantic beings and we have to contend with 
toxic meaning that drives us to a death of spirit.If we succumb to toxic 
meaning like fear, hate and self-centeredness we engage in this move 
away behaviour and our ability to create and love is dampened.

We might say that we have two classes of motivation in creation.We are 
either motivated to move away from death or to move toward growth and 
transcendence. A fear mindsetcauses us to move away from death while a 
growth mindset motivates us to transcend toward the fullness of life and 
creativity.

The quote from the Apostle Paul speaks to a spiritual overcoming of 
fear, particularly the fear of death. It suggests that through faith in 
the resurrection, believers can transcend the paralyzing effects of 
fear. The quote implies that the ultimate fear—death—has been conquered, 
and therefore, the things that typically incite fear lose their power.

For the early Christians, this victory signifies a new reality where 
believers transcend the fear of death, anticipating the New Jerusalem 
descending from the heavens or the mustard seed that is the Kingdom of 
God in our midst.

The resurrection teaches us that life is more than what we perceive. It 
invites us to look beyond the propaganda, to question the narratives 
that drive us towards fear and division, to instead seek truth, beauty, 
goodness and unity of the human family.

Arthur Blomme
March 28th, 2024



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