Monthly Message (April 2009) - New Life
Dear Friends,
- … for our warming, changing, planet?
- … for people whose livelihoods have become fragile in the uncertain economic times we live in?
- … for young people growing up .... and the people who often fear them or criticise them?
- … for a world too often in conflict and tension?
- … for each one of us in the concerns and difficulties that we often carry?
What … would NEW LIFE look like?
As we follow Jesus through the stories of his Lenten journey towards Jerusalem, its culmination in his arrest, trial and crucifixion and then the incredible surprises of Easter … we are probably quite firmly planted in the company of the 12 disciples who again and a again couldn’t quite grasp what he meant when he spoke about facing even death for the chance of a NEW LIFE.
Jesus, as we have discovered in this year’s Lent Suppers, easily became impatient with theoretical questions. He didn’t want to talk about pie-in-the-sky ideas but was passionate about the real life here and now. So when he talked about facing death and finding new life – life that has risen from the ashes – he was talking about change. Changing the difficult, heavy, often un-just life .... to the life that was able to offer love as a healing, forgiveness as a liberation and faithfulness to God as the pattern for a new world. He’d so often called this new life the ‘Kingdom of God’ … the ways the would and life would be with God firmly at the centre of it. And with his feet firmly planted on the ground he often glimpsed that new life already present when people dared to hope for change – but he knew too, that for the new to begin the old often has to die. Change can be a painful business.
Jesus was passionate about facing up to the way the world was in-order to bring it closer to the ‘kingdom of God’ … new life. So passionate that he would not turn away or be stopped by the anger that met his message, and eventually brought about his death.
New life was born – the world was changed – from ‘death’ the way and passion of Jesus rose to New Life.
As we celebrate Easter we are challenged by God’s invitation to New Life. It is an invitation look for and grow closer to God and find ways of bringing about New Life, the ‘kingdom of God’, in our world. To share the passion of Jesus.
So … what would it look like? New Life?
May God inspire and renew us, that we too may live with passion for the risen life and the Kingdom come.
Yours,
Tracey.
