Dilemma

Dilemma is a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two or more alternatives. Can you think of some dilemmas? Since I wrote this at the beginning of Passover, it reminds me of two dilemmas. First, do you believe the blood of a lamb will be your sign that the Almighty’s wrath will Passover your home? (Exodus 12:1-14) Second, do you believe Jesus’ last supper signified his becoming that sacrificial lamb for all who believe? Does the Jewish community participate in the Passover each year? Does the Christian community remember the passion of Christ each year? Answer to both are yes, if you believe or no if you choose an alternative choice. Belief is essential in your decisions. Another example of a dilemma is shared in the following poem.

“And people stayed home and read books and listened and rested and exercised
and made art and played and learned new ways of being and stopped and listened deeper. Someone meditated, someone prayed, someone danced, someone met their shadow and people began to think differently and people healed and in the absence of people who lived in ignorant ways, dangerous, meaningless and heartless, even the earth began to heal and when the danger ended and people found each other grieved for the dead people and they made new choices and dreamed of new visions
and created new ways of life and healed the earth completely just as they were healed themselves.” Quiz: Was this poem written in 1869 by Kathleen O’Mara and reprinted for the 1919 pandemic? Was this poem written in March 2020 by Kitty O’Meara, a former teacher and chaplain from Wisconsin? Short answer is Kitty wrote it and there was no 1919 pandemic as it was in 1918. Does that make the poem useless? No. It does prove a point in several aspects. First, do not believe what is posted on social media without fact checking. Second, the message of the poem is valid to stay at home so we can all get back to some normality. Third, it reveals the dilemma of two alternatives. Stay at home and use this time to enrich your family lives or go out as if all is okay and continue the spread the virus. It seems obvious to me but not all things are obvious. Christianity is real to me, but not to others who choose, not to believe.

In Christianity, many of us take this week remembering Jesus’ journey to the Cross and his death called “Stations of the Cross”. There are 14 stations starting with his condemnation (Luke 22:39-44) and ending with his body placed in the tomb (John 19:38-42). He carried his cross knowing he is the good shepherd willing to lay down his life on his own accord. (John 10:17-18) His dilemma was to either walk away or pay the ultimate price. He chose to pay the price not for his sake but to save us. His dilemma and final decision makes our choices much easier to make. You think?

Happy Easter, T