The Foolishness of the Cross - Part 1

My name is Jose Samblanco and I live in a rural village of Peru and, most imporantly, I am the apostle to the Internet. I’m here, on-line, proclaiming to you the good news about Carlos Hernandez. Carlos Hernandez was a Peruvian peasant. He was a prophet mighty in word and deed as attested by many miraculous signs. But his own people did not recieve him. Carlos was accused of being an Al-Qaeda terrorist, he was handed over to the authorities, and was executed on the electric chair. But God did not let Carlos languish in death and decay, but Carlos has been raised by God and is now the exalted Lord of the Cosmos. I am here to tell you that Carlos was electrocuted for your sins. Furthermore, it is exclusively by faith in King Carlos that you receive the hope of redemption.

I’ve even written a hymn about Carlos:

Carlos was there on that horrible chair
They tied him down with bolts and then zapped him with 40 000 volts
It was for you that our saviour fried and died
Despite the fact that his hair caught on fire, this one is God’s true Messiah.
The wisdom of the world has been refuted because Carlos was electrocuted
He is my saviour and my lamp, because he absorbed every deadly amp
Now I know that God does care, ‘cause he sent Carlos Hernandez to the electric chair.

I’ve also written other hymns like, “In the chair of Carlos I Glory” and “When I cling to that old rugged electric chair”. Now this new religion has spread rapidly here in Peru and some people even wear gold electric chairs on their necklaces, we put chairs on top of places of worship. In fact in Peru, the Red Cross has changed their named to the Red Chair. Athletes, prior to a big race, don’t make the sign of the cross, instead they make the sign of the electric chair as a gesture of good luck. They pretend to sit down and then shake themselves uncontrollable for about 5-10 seconds. Knowing this I would like to call you to have faith and allegiance in Carlos Hernandez as your Lord and Saviour.

Back to Reality

This gospel of Carlos Hernandez is obviously quite absured. However, I must wonder if the message of the cross, i.e. the message of a crucified saviour, sounded altogether different to audiences in the Greco-Roman world.

This leads me to question: what is the folly of the cross and what does it mean to be a fool for Christ?