Signs of hope

On 8 May 1945 the streets of London were packed as crowds celebrated the end of the war in Europe. Peace had yet to break out in the Far East. Wartime restrictions would continue for some time. VE Day 1945 was a sign of hope but it would be some time before things would really change for the better.

Friday 8 May 2020 will be a quieter affair. Plans to commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of VE Day have been modified. The event will be marked online or at home. London's streets will lie deserted as the country awaits signs of hope that sometime soon things might really change for the better.

Four weeks ago Christians marked Easter. With churches closed millions of people found different ways to worship and celebrate at home or online. The events of the first Easter Sunday offer the greatest sign of hope the world has ever known. As we contemplate the resurrection and encounter the reality of the the risen Christ we know that, by the grace of God, things can always change for the better.

Can't help but wonder where we're bound

It's a long and dusty road, it's a hot and a heavy load
And the folks I meet ain't always kind
Some are bad and some are good
Some have done the best they could
Some have tried to ease my troubled mind
And I can't help but wonder
Where I'm bound, where I'm bound
Can't help but wonder where I'm bound

Tom Paxton

Long ago a couple met a stranger on the road from Jerusalem to the village where they lived. Filled with sorrow at the death of a friend they walked and talked. As later they shared a meal with their companion their world turned upside down. They hurried back to the city with news that would bring both joy and the promise of a new future. The journey had only just begun. 

This Spring, Britain waits anxiously for news that may change the future. A population weary of staying home longs for news that will bring hope in our troubled times. The longed for announcement, when it comes, may bring some joy but the future seems likely to remain uncertain for a while. The journey to the 'new normal' is only just beginning.

From where we stand today we can't help but wonder where we are bound. Anxiety about what comes next is rife as national and international debates rage. As the journey continues look out for the stranger on the road. Walk, talk, and eat with him. He has the power to turn everything upside down, bringing joy to those willing to trust him and offering the promise of a future filled with hope. The journey is only just beginning.

Faithful living in difficult days

What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms.

I have blessed peace with my lord so near, leaning on the everlasting arms. 

(E.A Hoffman, 1887)

Few people were surprised by last week's government announcement that current restrictions on daily life in Britain will continue until at least 7 May. The decision was widely anticipated and seemed inevitable. As much of the country settles into the new world of social distancing, home schooling,  and remote working, modern communications technology grows ever more significant.

At the same time many in the the Christian community are drawing comfort from the familiar. Psalms remind us that in difficult times God is our refuge and strength (Psalm 46) and that as we live in the shadow of death we have nothing to fear (Psalm 23). As a musician and a Baptist, I've been drawn back to hymns remembered from teenage years. Many express the same kind of confidence in God that comes from tragic experiences and lives of hardship. Images accompanying YouTube videos are often a moving reminder of the struggles faced by faithful believers living through the challenges of their own time.

Faithful living in difficult days remains a challenge in our Coronavirus afflicted world. In scripture and in song we have a wealth of resources on which to draw for strength and comfort. With the aid of Google and YouTube it is easier than ever before to access treasures of the faith both ancient and modern. And, of course, many of us now have all the time in the world to fill.

Signs of hope

Toby's Easter Picture

Rainbows have enjoyed something of a renaissance during the coronavirus crisis. Walking around our often deserted streets there are pictures in many windows. The sign of hope given to Noah seems to resonate during this season of anxiety and fear.

In the weeks after Easter Sunday the reality of the resurrection begins as little more than a sign of hope yet to be fulfilled. First Mary Magdalene, then others who knew Jesus encounter the risen Christ at different times and places. Their lives continue much as before for several weeks. Not until Pentecost will the early signs of hope bring transformation.

With our world still in the grip of a pandemic people across everywhere are now beginning to see signs of hope. Countries affected early on are seeing fewer cases of Covid-19. Across Europe tentative moves are being made to lift some restrictions on daily life. Britain's Prime Minister is recovering at Chequers. In time these early signs of hope will bring transformation.

In the weeks after the first Easter Jesus' followers were anxious and fearful. The transformation of this small group of faithful disciples at Pentecost changed the world for ever. Christians today are living through a season of anxiety and fear. Encountering the risen Christ in our daily lives is the first step towards taking our place among the ranks of those who, by the power of God's spirit, could be agents of transformation in a world in need of hope.

Rising up from griefs and tears

Christ is risen! Alleluia!
Risen our victorious head!
Sing his praises! Alleluia!
Christ is risen from the dead!
Gratefully our hearts adore him
as his light once more appears,
bowing down in joy before him,
rising up from griefs and tears.

J.S.B Monsell (1811-1875)

Easter this year has a very different feel. There will be no church services to attend (or to prepare!). Christian worship in all traditions will however continue in other ways. Online services have been put together by many churches and can be freely accessed. Services of worship will be broadcast on television and on the radio. In our increasingly connected world there will be no shortage of ways to celebrate the resurrection. All who choose to connect will have the opportunity to hear the Easter story and to experience the hope it inspires.

As Easter Sunday dawns in 2020 our world of 'griefs and tears' is in much need of hope. As the light of Christ appears our hope is reawakened. He is not dead! He has risen, as he said! God has not abandoned the world he created but reaches out to make all things new. In our uncertain times the  resurrection of Jesus shows us that death does not have the final word. There is light for our darkness, hope in the face of fear. The daily news makes our hearts heavy but the glorious news of the resurrection brings joy.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Maundy Thursday

In the Middles Ages kings washed the feet of beggars on the day before Good Friday. Over the centuries the foot washing was replaced by the giving of alms to the poor. Today the annual distribution is symbolic with the Queen presenting specially minted coins to pensioners who are recognised for acts of service in their local communities.

Medieval monarchs took their mandate for symbolic acts of service from Jesus. Maundy Thursday derives its name from the Latin mandatum (mandate). At his final meal with friends Jesus knelt and washed the feet of his companions. It was an act of love and service that he encouraged them to emulate.

All around us at the present time we find individuals who are doing just that. Paid workers and volunteers alike are doing whatever they can to help the sick and vulnerable at this time of crisis. Our political leaders and their medical advisers are working hard to guide the country through the health emergency. News last night that Prime Minister Johnson is now being cared for in a London hospital was a reminder of the personal cost of a commitment to public service. There will be no Royal Maundy Thursday service this year. In our time of need the symbolic gesture has been replaced. Real love, real action, and real service are the order of the day.

Palm Sunday 2020

Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!

Palm Sunday 2020 will have a very different feel. There seems so little to celebrate as we look ahead to Holy Week. COVID-19 daily claims more lives in Britain and across the world. Normal social contact is suspended. Our lives are on hold. How then can we rejoice with the crowd in Jerusalem?

The events of the first Palm Sunday took place just before the Passover.  In Jewish homes, then as now, this feast is the annual remembrance of the events of the Exodus. For Moses and his people the escape from Egypt was truly something to celebrate.Their descendants continue to give thanks for their deliverance each year. Jesus and his friends arrived in Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday where they planned to share in the meal that is central to the festival.

The story of the Exodus does have a dark side which is little acknowledged. As the Hebrew slaves fled, Egypt faced widespread sickness and death. Like people across the world in 2020 they lived through dark days as life became uncertain and precarious. This year, perhaps as never before, the suffering implicit in the Passover story resonates with our own situation.

As we begin the journey through Holy Week this year we recognise that before experiencing the joy of liberation God's people have always known the reality of suffering and death. Jesus faced that challenge bringing hope and peace to those who follow him. In the midst of all that we see around us  we echo the words of the Palm Sunday crowd, trusting in God who raised Jesus from the dead.