Sacrifice Isn't Pretty

We were invited once again to attend a meeting with the chief and sub chiefs of the Akropong Akuapem region. We sat in the courtyard of the chief’s “palace” like dignitaries, watching the events of the morning. All of the chiefs and the women were dressed in their colorful indigenous garments. There was a group of people present at the meeting that were in mourning over a lost friend a member of the tribal council. As according to the tradition they marched into the courtyard presented several gifts before the chief. We noticed that there was a man who walked in with a large goat who was tied to a rope. I was hardly concerned about the purpose of the animal when I saw it being brought into the council room and figured it was probably just a gift. I reasoned that this animal would probably go into the chief’s stable or something of the sort. But after the gifts had been presented, the goat was lead to the center of the courtyard. The clamoring of percussion instruments and loud drums filled the space as the tribal rituals took place. Then the clamoring ceased and we realized that this animal was about to be sacrificed.

My immediate reaction was shock and disgust. Sure I have known the facts of life and death for a while and know that chicken on my plate came from a live animal, but I had never witnessed a ceremonial killing of an animal for ritualistic or religious purposes. Although I was repulsed and wanted to look away, I realized that I needed to watch as an opportunity for theological reflection. As a little girl, I remember being highly disturbed when I read my children’s Bible and saw that they sacrificed animals in the Old Testament. Although I am not a child any longer, the image of sacrifice is still disturbing, and according to the Bible that is the cost of sin. This event was difficult to watch and in no way made me rejoice, but it was a powerful reminder to me. As the writers of the NT have pointed out, Jesus Christ was our ultimate sacrificial lamb who went to the slaughter willingly for our sin. This real life analogy reminded me that sacrifice isn’t pretty, and it isn’t easy. If we romanticize the cross we tend loose some of the weight of the true suffering of Christ. Furthermore, it impacts how we understand the process of picking up our own cross daily and being living sacrifices unto God. But more than the suffering of Christ, we are to acknowledge the deep and true love of Christ who gave himself for us so that we might live. The cross wasn’t pretty, but the triumph of Christ lies in the empty grave.