My mind was full of so many thoughts about the Lenten and Easter seasons that I didn’t know which one to address.
I started on forgiveness.
Luke’s Gospel reports on a remarkable forgiveness event. Jesus, in all his agony, turns to the thief on the cross beside him. He receives the thief’s plea, the recognition of Jesus’ divinity, when he cries, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”. And Jesus recognizes him as a child of God, insists on no spoken confession, but says without hesitation, “Today you will be with me in Paradise”. (Lk 23:42-43)
Then I thought about risk. After the suffering of the cross, the gospel offers a sign of hope for risk-takers. Joseph of Arimathea claims Jesus’ body, offers a burial place, and risks his life to claim by this act that he is a follower of Jesus.
And suffering.
My local Pentecostal churches hold an Easter celebration on Good Friday! They don’t want to deal with suffering. But we must enter the suffering of the world, for it is only as we take up the cross of Jesus that we find the true way of life, and the promise of resurrection. Finally today I knew what I wanted to say. I knew because I am listening to two funeral services at the same time.
One is a state Funeral being held in St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral in Melbourne for a 45 year old, Irish, Catholic, Australian Rules Football legend, Jim Stynes. With his football career over, Jim established a youth mentoring program called ‘Reach’ and was awarded an Australian Honour for his community work.
The other funeral I’m watching on my computer. It’s the televised funeral of the King of Tonga, King George Tupou V, who died unexpectedly at 63. Tonga is a Christian nation in the South Pacific and the King is Head of the Methodist Church. This King in his short reign of 5 years led democratic reform in Tonga. My husband, John, is participating in the funeral. We love the Tongan people, having worked there as missionaries.
Through the life of service and untimely death of these two men, I see mirrored the life and death of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
But more than that, I see hope.
For in both services, the Christian belief was proclaimed that death is not the end, but because of Christ’s resurrection, we have the promise of eternal life. God demonstrated his power and love in raising Christ and offering hope to all believers.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote these powerful words which I love to sing:
“Goodness is stronger than evil,
Love is stronger than hate,
Light is stronger than darkness,
Life is stronger than death.
Victory is ours, victory is ours
Through Him who loved us.”
I have expressed the love and prayerful support of the World Federation family to the Queen Mother and members of the Tongan Royal Family. The Queen Mother, Queen Halaevalu Mata’aho, is President of the Tongan Federation Unit.
May your Easter recognize that many of us, like Christ, are called to walk the road of suffering – but we already know the end of the journey. That end is the glorious hope of resurrection.
May you so rejoice this Easter.
Shalom,
Ann