Easter 2014

12 April 2014

The Journey from Palm Sunday, through Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and into Easter Sunday encompasses the entire Passion narrative.

A narrative that is painful, frightening, disturbing, challenging.

There is quite enough in this narrative alone for us to think about.

So I won't clutter it up with any extended message here. Scripture can, and does, always speak for itself. To the heart, to the mind, to the human spirit; Deep calling to Deep.

I will therefore just offer this one thought at this, the most profound time of year for the Christian Church...

It seems to me that one aspect of the account of Jesus' Passion is that his arrest, trial, torture, persecution, execution and death is accompanied by crowds of onlookers. People who just stand by and watch what is happening. Not thinking much; unwilling perhaps, too frightened even, to get involved.

In fact, even we - you and I - as we witness these scenes do so, I suggest, as observers. We may feel moved to compassion by the agony. And I don't doubt we can even connect with Christ in his suffering through the work of the Spirit and engaging with a living scripture.

Nevertheless, there is something, perhaps, that means we still remain in part at a distance. Because of time, of course. Because of the cultures between then and now. Because we can't actually imagine, empathise sufficiently strongly, with this awful, tragic and unthinkably cruel narrative as it unfolds.

Yet, perhaps, among other things, one thing Jesus' Passion is asking us to do is to become more involved. Not to remain bystanders and onlookers as our brothers and sisters in their fallen humanity - in our fallen humanity - did all those years ago.

We are being asked, every time we hear this report of the murder of an innocent victim, to become more involved as followers of Christ. Become more involved in the world about us.

A world full of innocents being shunned, shied away from, arrested, unfairly tried, tortured, persecuted, executed...
After all, whose side, ultimately do we want to be on?
Jesus's surely?
Moreover, in the Passion narrative, whose side is God clearly on?
Don't we long to be there, too?

May you have a blessed and peaceful Easter and may Christ's spirit speak into your lives and your homes ever more powerfully as the days and weeks go by. Amen

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