Reflection: Creation Laments

‘From noon to three pm the sun failed.’*

All creation participates at the cross. It shudders. Laments. Wrenches. Rips. Thunders. Leaps. Earth power-surges … and the lights go out. The sun is sapped of its energy. Rocks’ bonds are fractured. Creation tears her clothes.

It’s an ancient thing. Despairing people tore their clothes. It was a tangible expression of grief too heavy to bear. Interestingly, God forbade his priests to express grief/despair that way. ** But just as interesting, is the picture of a rip on a much larger scale right there in front of the priests … in the Temple.

The Temple was a symbol of God’s creation, the place he inhabits. It was modelled on Eden because in that garden of delight is where God and man met. Mind you, met with no small number of stipulations and regulations. Like the two curtains, for example, that were designed to conceal and divide. *** One curtain banned everyone but the annual high-priestly visit. The other curtain was visible to all, even Gentiles peering through the doors — a Babylonian-woven wonder renown throughout the Roman Empire. Described by Josephus, it was a massive 25 metres high and 7.3 metres wide. Picture an astonishing panorama of the heavens in tapestry — embroidered with scarlet fire, flaxen earth, azure skies and purple seas.

And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiip!

Tangibly and metaphorically, all creation participated at the cross, convincing those who had eyes to see, that, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

Prayer:

Of course we don’t just peer at a spectacular, groaning, creation-curtain and see you, God. We run right through to that sweet spot where we can meet with you. Here I am, communing with you. Keep me in your company until lamenting is no more and all things are made new.

*author’s paraphrase, see Luke 23:44-45

**Leviticus 21:10

***in ‘Herod’s temple’, of Jesus’ lifetime