This week is, as the one before, unprecedented. Unsure of what to do, how to be, we face “lockdown” probably for the first time in our lives. We certainly have been blessed by some fine weather this last week so – in our hour of exercise – we may have been able to feel the sunshine.
It’s also been a week for some ‘brave’, some would say foolish, predictions: President Trump declaring that with respect to returning to normality on Easter Sunday: “You’ll have packed churches all over our country. I think it’ll be a beautiful time.”
One Pastor responded saying..
“You cannot get to Easter Sunday without first going through the crucifixion on Friday. A crucifixion precedes the resurrection, Mr President, and we have not even got up Calvary’s mountain yet to the crucifixion, we just have the cross on our back,”
Revd Al Sharpton
Many churches this weekend are hearing, in video blogs these days, the story of Lazarus. This man was the first person to die and return to life again, and then die again. There are festivals, perhaps not this year, which celebrate Lazarus of the four days, as he was dead, initially, for that period of time.
To me there’s one verse which really stands out:
“Jesus shed tears”, commonly read as
“Jesus wept”; (John 11:35)
which isn’t the shortest verse in the Bible when read in the original language (QI)
With the peak of the Corona Virus expected in London very soon, and in the ‘countryside’ some days later, we will all be aware of those who have suffered from this virus. We may not have the words to say to those who are struggling, family members who are not able to visit and support loved ones, those self-isolating and struggling with their circumstances and limited surroundings. So what could we do?
Rev Trey Hall, speaks of how he has come to terms with anxiety in the past and offers an approach which could be used by all. It starts with:
“Hello, God that I don’t believe in, I’m really freaking out about …. Can I trust you, whom I don’t think exists, with that?”
He then speaks out his emotions, his inner feelings, using three ‘subject headings’:
1. Help;
2. Thanks;
3. Wow!
It’s a good framework to articulate what is deep within us, holding us back perhaps.
To me, I feel that the verse ‘Jesus shed tears’ and Trey’s 3 point expressing of his fears acknowledges that God (whoever, whatever you describe this force) is still there – even in our deepest troubles, our present crisis. We can cry too…and God will cry with us.
In the following video excerpt, we see someone who is struggling with the loss of a loved one, but speaks to a character portraying ‘love’, who was always there, never left their side, even when they were in the depths of mire – as I believe God is always there. What’s the line that love speaks which resonates with you?
Easter is a time, usually, when we meet together as family. We might have a meal together, share Easter eggs, relax. It wasn’t so for Jesus.
The first Easter was a pivotal moment, of humanity meeting the divine: the resultant being far greater than the sum of the parts.
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Will we join with others, however we can do that currently, and come along side, by telephone, by social media, and not leave them?
Can we reflect on these words as we listen to this song by Matthew West : “The God who stays”