Remembering the Cross
by Bishop John E. Privett
Dear Friends,
In just a few days we will celebrate the greatest Christian festival in the entire Year — the death and resurrection of Jesus. Despite declining attendance on most Sundays in many congregations during the year, we can anticipate that Easter services will once again be filled. There is still a great desire on the part of many to attend both Christmas and Easter services. And if that is all we can do, perhaps that is not a bad place to start. Nevertheless, as we prepare for Easter, I am keenly aware that although churches will be filled on Easter Day, there will be very few present at the Liturgies of Good Friday. It reminds me of the popular song that rose in the charts in the 1970s, "Everybody wants to get to Heaven but nobody wants to die." We all want to celebrate the resurrection, but often forget, or minimize the truth that before there can be a resurrection, there is a death.
The events of Jesus' last days are a seamless series of events that we mark in services on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night/Sunday morning. Before the dawn of Easter, there are the events of the Last Supper and Jesus' arrest in the Garden (Thursday), his death on the cross (Friday), and his resting in the tomb (Saturday). He truly suffered and died, before he was raised to new life. And in his suffering and death, Jesus has revealed that God is present to us in the midst of our suffering and dying. Christian faith is not simply an otherworldly spirituality that is an escape from the hard realities of life, but a deeply engaged faith that knows that God is not only conscious of and concerned for the suffering of the world, but also is present in that suffering. God, who came among us as One who suffered, died and rose again, is particularly disposed toward those who face the pain of suffering and death.
I write this article as there are news reports of more layoffs in Canadian industry. As the economy stalls there are more and more people affected in our cities, towns and communities. Unemployment is on the rise, more people turn to shelters and food banks, and those comfortable middle class folks who are the majority in our congregations are less comfortable and many face difficult decisions ahead. The sad reality is that when people discover themselves facing major crises, particularly an economic crisis, they often disappear off the radar screen of our congregations. Whether it is shame at having to seek rather than give assistance, or guilt at no longer being able to support the church financially, or the stress of a radically changed life, statistics show that parishioners facing economic challenges often fade out of sight and can feel abandoned by their Christian brothers and sisters.
As we prepare to celebrate the great events of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter let us remember that God is identified with those who suffer. Let us remember that we are all called to die to those things that draw us away from our neighbours and from God, and as we give thanks for the wonderful promise of new life, let us also be mindful of those in our churches, neighbourhoods and communities who are suffering the effects of a faltering economy. In my view as we stand by them, we may also discover something more about the God who stands alongside us.
Faithfully, +John
