The world of violence continues despite the utterances on behalf of peaceful outcomes to our problems at home and abroad. We cannot help ourselves.
War and violence seem to be the simplest way to desired outcomes. Being powerful is the favorite definition of being right. It does not matter that we are in a time of the year that all Christian believers reserve for special sacrifice to achieve atonement for our sinful nature. The celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is around the corner and the community of faithful must prepare for the symbolic rebirth and renewal offered by his human sacrifice on the cross.
That preparation began on Ash Wednesday February 18, 2026, and will go on until Easter Sunday. It is a period that commemorates the 40 days and 40 nights that Jesus spent in the desert accompanied only by the dark side of humanity that sought to keep him anchored to his earthly origins.
There is a common Christian belief that the trials Jesus suffered in the desert were in some way a replay of Adam’s temptation to eat the fruit of knowledge offered by Eve and the Serpent. Adam succumbed to the temptation and as a result, turned paradise, that was the embodiment of the Garden of Eden, into a wilderness for human toil and suffering.
In a sense, the events in the desert are comparable in that the outcome was also a transformation from one condition to another. Adam and Eve were “heavenly figures” from paradise, God’s abode, that became part of the mortal world and therefore shed their pre-awareness state in order to begin their human journey under their own choice and responsibility.
On the other hand, Christ had to do just the opposite and shed his human condition and transformed himself into a being that can again occupy paradise. The three temptations offered by Satan in the desert dealt with hunger for food and hunger for power, the two greatest weaknesses that motivate humankind.
Satisfying hunger for bread and the temptation of having the power to rule the globe have led to greatest wars and destruction in the history of the world. It was and is a very human thing to do.
By resisting those temptations, Jesus Christ symbolically left the major characteristics of his human form behind before offering his body for sacrifice and redemption.
Yet Christ’s image and human substance is still very relevant in our belief system since we, including Jesus, are made in the image of God. As believers, we cannot escape that image and must honor it as we honor our own.
For many Christians and others that seek to divide our living world by color, race and ethnicity, this 40-day period can be a time of reflection especially focused on the true face of America and what is to be an American. For true Christians there should be no separation about believers who are worthy and eligible for redemption based upon the sacrifice made on the cross.
It is important to remember that, like the rest of us, Jesus has a human form, a cultural base that identifies him as Jewish, a Middle Eastern region that locates his earthly origins and a racial makeup that defines him as a person of color.
Those that see themselves as true believers but maintain the notion that a Northern European complexion is superior may experience a surprise at the gates of heaven. They may find Jesus in his darker image.
The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of LaVozColorado. Comments and responses may be directed to News@lavozcolorado.com.
