Ascension Day

It's sad that Evangelical christianity (in which I have my roots) pays so little attention to Ascension Day. Growing up, I never heard of it as a 'feast' day. I knew the story, but it played little part in my theology and worldview. But it was huge for Paul, and Luke, and has become so for me, too.

I don't have time to write the detailed post I wanted to about this, but let me make a few brief observations:

1. Luke is intentional about the imagery he uses in his account of it in Acts (compare Acts 1 to what he wrote about the ascension at the end of his gospel). (Of note, this is not "contradiction," but is typical of the way history was written in a Greek bios at the time and would not be seen as being unhistorical, but as filling the history with the writer's own interpretation of the event).

2. His imagery is first off taken from Daniel 7, where the one like a 'son of man' is vindicated after intense suffering at the hands of the beasts and 'comes on the clouds of heaven' to sit at the right hand of the Ancient of Days. It was the classic Jewish apocalyptic text that spoke of God at last vindicating his people after all the oppression they had endured and because of their faithfulness to YHWH.

3. Luke interprets Jesus' 'leaving' as that event of his 'coming' to sit at the right hand of God, having received all authority in heaven and earth. Jesus, from Luke's perspective throughout the rest of Acts, is now running the world from the 'control room' we call 'heaven'.

4. Indeed, let's not overspiritualize what that means (to have King Jesus in control) and instead try to see it the way Luke sets it out in the rest of the book: Not only has God conquered sin and death in Jesus, he has also established the rightful ruler over the world, including over Caesar and Herod.

In light of all that, how could we ever have been deceived into thinking that the new way of justice we have found to be God's way as demonstrated in Jesus was somehow separate from what we call 'politics'? If God has redefined authority and power and salvation and justice, and if Luke thinks this has every bit of bearing not only on how each individual christian, and not only on how the community of christians lives, but also on the political leaders of the world and how they work out their 'power' and their 'justice', how can we think that justice and mercy are not supposed to be a part of our politics. As Americans, does being patriotic/being a model citizen mean that we have to buy into the dog-eat-dog hyper-capitalist mentality, or that consumerism and materialism are virtuous, or that we should feel comfortable in our relative riches because somehow those who were born elsewhere are somewhat less deserving of comfort? That we believe the lie that systems that perpetuate greed and injustice and poverty have won the day and we can do nothing about it?

I could go on, and I could give a better argument, but I'd rather leave you with a challenge. When you get your 'economic stimulus rebate' in the mail, pray about using at least part of it to benefit someone who is not American, or one of the many whom America's system has forgotten. I recommend World Vision or Pura Vida or Beacon of Hope, which H helped start.

Praise you, lord of heaven and earth.
To you be glory and honor and praise forever.
From the darkness of death you have raised your King
to the light of life and then to the right hand of your greatness.
The pioneer of faithfulness toward you—his trial and agony accomplished—
has gone before us into new life in his resurrection,
is reigning with you in his ascension,
and now sends his promised Spirit to us.
May we be ready to follow the Way of the King
and so be brought into his glory
where songs of triumph forever sound:
Praise to God—father, son and holy spirit. (adapted from the Anglican Common Worship)

And we beseech you, Father, to give us strength to live lives of faithfulness to your plan to reconcile all of creation to yourself,
through your Son who reigns over all and by the power of his Spirit