Thought For The Week 12 April 2020

We’re now more than 2 weeks in to lockdown level four, and even if we’re coping well in general, the most chilled out of us are starting to get itchy feet.

And when we start to get itchy feet, then we start to get anxious or frustrated.  And when we get anxious or frustrated, then we start to look for a scapegoat, someone to blame. This is where anger builds and hatred plants its seeds.  This is when conspiracy theories and witch hunts fan the flames.

In the season of Easter, through the darkness of Good Friday and the bleakness of Easter Saturday, we experience the reality of the brokenness of the world and the solidarity of Emmanuel God-with-us.  Jesus takes all of our blame and our hatred and puts it to death.  In the joy of Easter Sunday and the resurrection we anticipate the joy of release from bondage.

The lesson – we do not need to find someone to blame, because God is always with us.  This morning I was reading twitter and Miroslav Volf shared a note he had received from Jurgen Moltmann on the eve of Moltmann’s 94th birthday:

“God does not spare us from the “dark valley,” the valley of death, but GOD IS WITH US IN OUR FEARS of natural catastrophes caused by viruses and ecological catastrophes caused by humans.”

May God surround you with his love in the darkness of this valley.  May the peace of Christ be with us all.

Arohanui,

Rory