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