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Greetings in Christ and let me wish
you God's blessing.
Easter is an uncomfortable time for
many Christians. It asks them to re-affirm their belief that Jesus
truly was the Son of God and was resurrected from death to life
eternal. These two things do not sit well in a world that often
speaks out quite forcefully against such things and often tries to
undermine these very basics of our faith as childish stories and
illogical superstitions.
Yet we know these things are true,
not just because they are in the Bible and they have been taught to
us, but because we see the reality of God in our daily lives. We know
when we move into the presence of God, our prayers are answered, we
receive inner peace and consolation, and we know our faith is well founded.
However, there is a further
implicit and very personal challenge.
As Christ submitted himself to the
will of God in a faith that was driven by a selfless and complete
love, we are reminded that in faith we are called to do nothing less.
We are called to set aside self in the service of God and in the
service of those who are our neighbours.
In this we are called to give up
the old self to die on the cross that the new may come to maturity.
It means stepping out of our comfort zones, putting ourselves at risk
of failure and taking uncertain leaps into the darkness of unknowing.
It is place where we must empty
ourselves that God may fill us completely. It is a place where we
must allow our deepest fears to rise to the surface and then be
disarmed by faith, the loving trust and complete acceptance that in
God all things are possible.
Just as Christ was resurrected,
transformed, fulfilled, so shall we.
There is no place in the Order for
personal ambition, power seeking, church politics, hidden agendas,
partial truths or anything else that will hinder the work we have set
before us. Our vision is simply to serve Christ and serve community.
Serving of self interest has no place in fulfilling this vision.
We follow the example of Christ at
this Eastertide. In Him, surrendering ourselves completely, we will succeed.
+Ian |
