Salvation

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." - Acts 4:12

Salvation. It's a very religious word that gets tossed around and used in ways that have nothing to do with what it really means. What does it mean to have salvation? To be saved? Let's put away all religious fluff and presumption. I wager that the meaning of salvation is infinitely deeper than we could ever presume to understand.

The definition for salvation, according to Oxford's English Dictionary, is "preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss." Now, if we bring in the element of life and death, supposing that someone's life is at stake, then the definition of salvation begins to carry a lot more weight. It indicates a passage - from something destructive into something that allows life. In such an instance, it is nothing less than the difference between life and death, hope and hopelessness, freedom and helplessness.

Now. When I consider the act of Christ's crucifixion, it causes me to wonder where I fit into the picture. And here's where I think the answer lies: in salvation, from death into life.

At this point, it is necessary to consider a few things. First of all, do I believe that the soul is an eternal entity? Follow me here. Do I believe that after death, my soul doesn't just die right along with my body, but that it continues existing? Please, let's not be short-sighted and pretend that talking about this stuff doesn't matter. When I consider the reality of life's brevity, my fragility, as well as the depth of goodness that a soul can experience, it makes me highly question whether this is really all there is. This life that I am living here, I mean. I can't escape the question. Of course discussing this stuff matters.

Now I come to my next point, and that is this: What's the difference between life and death? I do not refer to mere physical death. If we're going to bring the salvation (or lack thereof) of the soul into question, then the stark differences between life and death must be considered, for there is no in-between. If salvation means life, and the opposite of salvation means death, then what does an alive soul look life? A dead soul?

I trust that we will all think for ourselves on this one, and so I will not delve too deeply into this issue. What I will do, though, is present a picture of what I consider to be a good illustration of the difference between life and death. So. Here goes.

I saw an image of myself. I was laying down on the ground, face down in the dirt, and suddenly a large herd of horses came running - loud, ominous, and fast. And then the herd was on top of me, trampling over me. It happened within a split second, my fate sealed before I could even try to get up. I felt helpless. Then, the image changed, and I saw myself actually riding one of the horses, galloping, my body positioned in a stance of determination as well as freedom, ruthlessness as well as carefree-ness, purpose as well as adventure. I was flying. I was utterly free.

The truth is, if I want life, in the great fullness of what it really means, then I must be saved. I am just being honest when I say that really, in-and-of-myself, I don't believe it can happen. I need something bigger than myself. I need the author of life itself.

To sum this all up, I feel strongly that the concept of salvation must not be trifled with. It must not be mocked, ignored, or misunderstood. Life and death exist, in all depth of meaning and actuality. And here's where the act of Christ's crucifixion comes in. What was it? An act that did not end with the hopelessness of death, but with the freedom of life. Christ did not stay dead; there is hope. And that hope is for me, when his life becomes my life. His hope my hope. His freedom my freedom.