Big Words: Love, Reconciliation, Humility
I am unable to do justice to the subjects I am going to discuss.
It is my hope that you will be inspired to look more closely and deeply at the thoughts I am going to write about.
I am writing of Lent, Good Friday and Easter Day.
As I have been reflecting during this important time in the Church’s year, I have been increasingly led to think about some big words.
I don’t mean long words; I mean words with a great deal of content. Those who have heard me preach since Ash Wednesday will have heard me say something like, “Lent is not a weight loss program.”
What I mean by that is that it is easy to trivialize important things in our faith and thereby not get to the depth we are intended to reach.
Don’t misunderstand me, I am as guilty as anyone of doing this. There are many times I have prayed for a parking spot!
The words I want to touch on here are bound together by one overall word, love — particularly the love of God.
God’s love is total, and we do nothing to deserve it. It is not easy to see this at times. It is a love which wants to take us beyond ourselves, the conflicts and confusions of the now.
God’s love points us to wholeness and peace in the midst of desolation.
How is getting to that place possible?
This leads us to another of the big words, reconciliation, which happens at the cross. Jesus, the ultimate sign of the love of God, enables us to be brought into a new relationship with God be-cause of his death.
The barrier which exists between us and God is broken down. God brings us to God through the action of God.
From that comes our responsibility for being those who bring reconciliation and not division. In the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant, we find a man who has been forgiven much, but is unwilling to forgive his fellow servant very little.
It does not end well for him. We are called to consider how we are merciful and active in reconciliation.
The cross is also a place of justice. That which is misaligned with God’s will, is dealt with there. God’s justice is perfect, dealing with all the injustices which have been perpetrated throughout history.
We can feel confident that in the future the complete justice of God will be seen, but on this side of Christ’s we are to be people who live justly.
The final word I want to reflect on is humility. By going to the cross, Jesus did not demand his rights, he did not insist on being first, but died to serve all of us.
To be bullying and demanding does not reflect the nature of God, but rather it shows our broken humanity.
On Good Friday we see all of this and much more being worked out on the cross. We are given the possibility of living a more God-centred life by accessing these God-given gifts.
Easter Day is the sign of the new life we are called to live. Perhaps it is time to consider how these Godly qualities can be seen in us.
I wish you all a peaceful, joyous and blessed Easter.
Archbishop David.
Photo credit: Anuja Tilj on Unspalsh.com