Sometimes, one truth changes everything; Faith & Values.(NWSaturday)

Byline: Jodi Detrick; Special to The Seattle Times

Have you ever argued with someone about something entirely inconsequential?

"That's the same actress who was in the other Jane Austen film you made me watch -- you know, "Sense and Reliability," or something like that."

"It's sensibility and, no, it's not the same actress."

"Yes, it is! You know, the one who fell for Mr. Darby!"

"Ummm, that would be Mr. Dar-cy, in 'Pride and Prejudice.' "

"Right! And that's the same actress who fell for him!"

"No. I assure you. It's not. Not even close."

"Sure looks like her to me! Juuuuuust like her. Yep, it's her."

Sigh. Before easy Internet access, these debates would have to go unresolved, even leading to an occasional frustrating flare-up: "Honey, I'm just sure that was the same actress. Her hair was brown, too. Remember?" "No, dear; it wasn't. There are several actresses with brown hair these days; trust me on this one."

Recently, conversations like this inevitably lead to a quick Google search with one of us crowing gleefully, "Aha! I knew it!" Which one of us is crowing, and which is eating crow, depends on the day and the topic. We've both done a lot of each. Really, though -- in the whole scheme of things -- it doesn't make a lick of difference where we land on those kinds of questions. True or not, some things just don't matter that much.

Have you ever wondered about something that, if it is true, changes everything? Last Sunday, Christians around the globe celebrated Easter. I realize the hoopla of bunnies and baskets is over for another year. You can get a great buy on Peeps and egg-dye coloring kits this week. Yet I'm still thinking about the implications of something that, if it is true, changes everything. For me, Easter is not a seasonal celebration. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the heartbeat of my faith. It affects who I am and how I live year-round. I know others believe differently, and I respect their right to do so.

A certain man who didn't believe the claims of those early Christ-followers, that Jesus was alive again after suffering an agonizing execution on a Roman cross, debated with them to the point of having several arrested and tried for blasphemy. He was so sure he was right -- this nonsense about Jesus being alive couldn't possibly be true!

Then one day (some time after what we call the first Easter had passed), he had his own miraculous encounter with Christ and became the biggest proponent of this outrageous claim -- and the most prolific writer of the scriptures Christians hold sacred, the New Testament. We know him today as Paul, the Apostle. He wrote (1 Corinthians 15, New Living Translation, selected verses):

Your faith is built on this wonderful message. I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me -- that Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day. ... If Christ was not raised, then all our preaching is useless ... and your trust in God is useless ... you are still under condemnation for your sins. But the fact is that Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again.

I like it that God often shows up during the offseason (after the flourish of religious celebrations is over) and reveals His love to skeptics and doubters in unexpected ways. For Paul, the former cynic, the Resurrection of Christ meant that sins could be forgiven, that the chasm between God and humanity was spanned, that death didn't have the final say, and that a new way of living was possible.

The Easter festivities are over for this year but the question remains, could Jesus possibly be alive? Some things, if they're true, change everything.

Jodi Detrick is a minister with the Northwest Ministry Network (Assemblies of God). She is also a public speaker, an author and a life coach. Readers may send feedback to faithcolumns@seattletimes.com.

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