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Sunday, April 12, 2020

Easter: A Matter of Life and Death?

Bill Shankly the famous Liverpool football manager once quipped, “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that.” Maybe not. As I write elite football matches across the UK have been suspended. Evidently Mr. Shankly didn’t envisage the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic  that is currently ravaging the world and causing havoc to sporting fixtures. By the time you read this (written on 16 March*) the government will no doubt have put additional measures in place to try and halt, or, at least manage the spread of the virus. After all, at least for some, this is a matter of life and death.

People are getting jumpy. The constant stream of news updates on our TVs and phones means there’s no escaping the Coronacrisis. Some are panic buying, although the shops are doing their best to keep shelves stocked with food and essential goods.  In the midst of all this, celebrating Easter may seem a bit frivolous. Some might say, ‘This is no time for bunnies, bonnets and choccy eggs.’ Although, a little innocent diversion may not go amiss in these stressful times.

But the Christian message of Easter is not a bit of fluffy escapism to take our minds off things.  As we ponder the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we are reminded that God himself has entered our world of suffering. In his book, Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind, the historian Tom Holland writes, “To be a Christian is to believe that God became man, and suffered a death as terrible as any mortal has ever suffered. This is why the cross, that ancient instrument of torture, remains what it always has been: the fitting symbol of the Christian revolution.”

The “Christian revolution” as Holland calls it overturned the values of the ancient world. The poor and needy were no longer regarded as expendable when plagues swept through cities. The Emperor Julian was deeply opposed to the Christian faith. Yet he grudgingly had to admit that followers of Jesus would look after all the sick, not only their believing friends. This attracted even more people to the faith, much to Julian’s annoyance. Today we take it for granted that vulnerable people will receive the care they need when disease strikes.

The cross of Jesus is a symbol of love and self-sacrifice. Jesus said to his followers, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus came into our world of suffering and brokenness to die for our sins that we might be forgiven by faith in him. But suffering and death did not have the last word. On the first Easter Sunday Jesus arose from the dead and met with his disciples. They were left distraught by his death, thinking all was lost. On appearing to his followers Jesus spoke words of reassurance that calmed their troubled souls, “Do not be afraid”, “Peace be with you.” We need to hear those words afresh in these anxious days.

What happened at Easter really was a matter of life and death. More serious than that, by his death and resurrection Jesus offers the hope of everlasting life to those who put their faith in him. The believer can be confident that nothing can separate them from the love of God. As the apostle Paul wrote, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation [including viruses!], will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

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* For April's edition of Trinity Magazine, Dilton Marsh & News & Views, West Lavington 

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