This week before Easter is called Holy Week. Traditional worship tends to do two things. It has elements of reenactment about it. So worship begins on Sunday with a re-eneactment of Jesus final entry into Jerusalem. I will be very conscious this year of my Anglican sisters and brothers in Jerusalem walking down a road I walked late last year which marks this journey. A very steep hill, and a great sense of excitement as we walk the glory road.We also tell the great stories, principally the Passion stories. The stories of Jesus death and then of his resurrection. We don't need to do it all at once. Perhaps do a little each day as we join Jesus.
The mood of Lent has changed
from penitence and discipline
towards the Cross and Passion.
There is much in our lives
certainly in mine at this time
that reveals the key insight
I have consistently had about Passiontide
and that is
That Passion is about love and
that passion is about suffering
This is quite profound.
though not immediately obvious
the truth is (for all of us)
that if we want to love better
then we need to be able to embrace suffering.
There will not be love without suffering.
As we look at the cross
as the truest example of what love might mean
nothing could be more obvious
Love means suffering.
Let us not make the mistake
that in order to love more
then we need to engender suffering.
There is enough suffering already!!
But we do need
to not avoid the reality
that true relationships
will not just be plain sailing.
They will have their fair share of suffering.
Most of us implicitly understand that.
Christ suffers in our humanity
we grow in God's humility.
There is much about this
that is mysterious.
but let us not try
to create a love that is pain-free
but rather to recognise
that suffering is its own opportrunity
to garner God's love.
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