Is the scandal of the cross good enough reason to give up on it? Let me respond by noting that there is no genuinely Christian way around the scandal. In the final analysis, the only available options are either to reject the cross and with it the core of the Christian faith or to take up one's cross, follow the crucified - and be scandalised ever anew by the challenge. As the Gospel of Mark reports, the first disciples followed, and were scandalised (14:26ff). Yet they continued to tell the story of the cross, including the account of how they abandoned the Crucified. Why? Because precisely in the scandal, they have discovered a promise. In serving and giving themselves for others (Mark 10:45), in lamenting and protesting before the dark face of God (15:34), they found themselves in the company of the Crucified. In his empty tomb they saw the proof that the cry of desperation will turn into a song of joy and that the face of God will eventually "shine" upon a redeemed world. (From: Exclusion and Embrace , page 26)
Volf, a Croatian, writes out of his experience of war in the former Yugoslavia. His theme is peace and ecumenism. I have not as yet written about this book on my other blog but I'm sure I will. The relationship between peace and ecumenism is an intriguing one.
The reference to the dark face of God reminds me of Dark Holy Ground; the experiences in Cleveland I referred to earlier. Volf questions how we respond to the scandal of the world's response to self-emptying love. The sense of abandonment of Jesus on the cross is more devastating than his suffering. How can we trust God in the light of this story?
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