A two-way swing bridge

This is so different to the Easter message of last week. We celebrate Easter with eggs, daffodils, cheers and songs of praise, and don’t forget those wonderful Marmite flavoured Hot Cross Buns… Which is your favourite flavour? But in reality, for the disciples back then it was a time of utter confusion, doubt and anxiety. The disciples were in a locked room. Were they scared of the one that they had deserted, rejected, disowned? To release that burden perhaps they needed to think a two way swing bridge.

Were they in a locked room because ion their fear or was it the Jewish tradition of Shiva, of mourning in a locked house for 7 days. On the next mention they are still in a room but perhaps they met there each week? 

Jesus enters, how?, no one noticed. Jesus offers peace, not a physical, material solution to their burdens, to their fear of the Jews. Perhaps When all about you are losing their heads…peace”

Note there is no bar they need to reach, no exams to pass, no special words to have been said, no prior good behaviour – this peace is a gift. What we Methodist calls prevenient grace.

How to forgive?

Forgiveness is also the key going forward, what they need to do is to forgive and pass it forward.

There are two days in our life with less than 24 hours in them. They are bookends to our life. One we celebrate each year (with parties perhaps, balloons or presents possibly),
the other makes us see living as precious. 

Kathryn Mannix, a quote we have used in our Death Cafe sessions

Our lives, the life of the Church, hold so many stories, of lives travelled near and far, of surviving conflict in Glasgow or wherever we were evacuated to, of relationships – some of which survived, some not so but still with powerful emotive memories. 

As we might feel weary at the prospect of keeping everything going we might feel a burden upon our shoulders, guilt even – it’s our fault might be the feeling we have. And Jesus says “Peace be with you“. We may need to listen carefully to Christ’s words about forgiveness also. 

Two Way Swing Bridge

Forgiveness is a two way bridge but often does not have the central connection between the two sides of the river. Think of it like a swing bridge. One part can swing to meet the other but it also can swing apart. 

To forgive, we need to turn from what we have done, to stop causing such strife to another, for example. It isn’t as simple as forgive and forget. Forgiving may be easier – and I write that sensitively – but we might not forget the trauma that the issue has caused. That might take time and processing/counselling.

The other person can independently accept that offer of forgiveness or continue to hold the grudge. But that is their decision, it does not bind us, if we have offered that apology.

That connection, due to the disagreement, has now been severed, and possibly we can build that bridge again, anew. We, if that forgiveness is sincere, are released, to move on. It is up to the other now to move on as themselves. 

And it applies to us here. 

Have we acted with God in what we do in our everyday things? What benchmark do we set when we seek to achieve things? Is it someone else’s benchmark, their standard, or God’s? It’s so releasing when we value what God desires over what others, in society, desire of us. 

We have no need to meet the expectations of others.

For then we do not need to hold any feelings of guilt or shame. 

Here’s another example.

Moving on

Christ came to those disciples to offer peace, freely given, without need to buy that with anything, and be released, to go onwards wherever that might be.

Just as the disciples were unprepared for the next phase, so might we be – but walk that journey in God’s peace, unburdened by others, a peace that passes all understanding of this world.