In the coming weeks and months, we will be exploring the nature of reality, human consciousness, and the dichotomy of body and soul in a metaphysical context while staying grounded in immutable truth. As edifying as these analytical musings may be, we should never forget that the foundation for all truth lies not in ourselves but outside of ourselves. Ultimate truth was displayed on a cross almost 2000 years ago when God demonstrated that he is both just and the justifier. There is no need to edit, add to, or embellish this gospel. Unfortunately, the Church historically has done just that.

It began with Gnosticism and continued in the late 17th Century, when secular society coined the term "Hocus Pocus” as a parody of the Latin phrase “Hoc Est Corpus” meaning the “Body of Christ” from the Latin Mass (1 Cor 11:24). Now, it’s not my intention to address transubstantiation but rather challenge the perception by society then and now that the Christian faith is grounded on mysticism. While the 17th Century version of Hocus Pocus may have been meted out via the communion host, the 21st Century version of Hocus Pocus is being dispensed through media and Internet hosts. The postmodern Church tends to either 1) sensationalize the Christian faith by focusing on wacky side issues like blood moons, newspaper eschatology, empty self-centered mysticism, the health/wealth gospel, or esoteric experiences, or 2) unduly patronizing the faith by exchanging realism with allegory.

As the true Church, we need to place our trust in the immutable fact of the resurrection of Jesus and rejoice in the sufficiency of His sacrifice for our sins. The fact is, we have real hope based on a real historic event. Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God was placed on a real cross with real nails and shed real blood to pay for real sins. He really died, and on the third day, He really arose.

The Apostle Peter said it best, “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” (2 Pet 1:16)

If you are a Christian, I’d like to challenge you to be salt and light; to be salty without being weird and to reflect light that comes from beyond and not from within.

For those who are either seeking or uncertain, I would respectfully challenge you to face ultimate reality while there is still time this side of death. I pray that you will seriously consider not my claims but the claims of Christ.

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor 15:55-57)

Brian Hoekstra
Resurrection Day, 2014