Your wounds declare your love for the world

The crucifixion of Jesus was a horrific event. When I first started thinking about what I might write in this posting, I thought I might include a graphic description of what happens to the human body when it is crucified. But I changed my mind. And decided that it might be better to just link to such a description; and so allow people to choose more easily if they want to read about such a horrific event. There are numerous such pages to link to on the internet, but many of them seem to be condensed from “The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ” by C. Truman Davis, M.S. March, 1965. Click on this link if you want to read one such page; but please heed the warning at the top of that page: “This may disturb you, so don’t read it if you don’t want to; it’s pretty horrific…”

But what crucifixion was makes the whole event even more remarkable. Jesus would have known all about the horrors of crucifixion. It was something the Romans had been doing all too frequently for a number of years, and others before them too. Jesus and his disciples would have seen many people hanging from crosses as they journeyed around the Holy Land. He would have known the agonies and horrors the victims of crucifixion suffered. He would have seen it with his own eyes, and heard it with his own ears.

And yet, knowing what he would face, he still went to Jerusalem. He could have gone anywhere, he could have avoided what was to happen. But he didn’t. He willingly gave himself up knowing full well what it would mean.

Why? Why would any man do that? And the answer is “Love”. Love for the world; Love for those around him; and Love for each and every one of us. He opened wide his arms on the cross for us, because he loves us. His wounds, what he suffered on the cross, are proof of that love for the world — his wounds declare his love for the world.

Jesus loves each and every one of us so much, that he was willing to die an agonizing death on the cross for us. Jesus said, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends…” (John 15:13-14a).

We are his friends, and he laid down his life for us; because he loves us.

Risen Christ,
your wounds declare your love for the world
and the wonder of your risen life:
give us compassion and courage
to risk ourselves for those we serve,
to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Additional Collect for The Fifth Sunday of Easter
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council

All your people may be gathered into one flock

I wonder if everyone being gathered into one flock is a real possibility in the near future. I had a look on Wikipedia to see if there might be a list of all the Christian denominations — there is, and there are a lot!. And if you factor in the number of other faiths there are, we can see that we’re an incredibly splintered flock at present. And, on the face of it, it looks as though it’s unlikely we’ll ever reach that happy ideal of being gathered into one flock.

But God can, and does, do amazing things. We don’t know what might happen tomorrow, next week, next year, or at some other point in our future, that will bring about just what’s being prayed for in this Collect. If enough of us can be taught to hear Christ’s voice, and to follow his command, then we just might suddenly realize that we are actually all one flock, following one Way.

It’s quite a thought to think, to hope for, that so many differences might one day be set aside, and we might be able to worship with our brothers and sisters around the world again. I think it’s more likely to happen from the grass-roots level up, rather than our denominational leaders bringing about unity. Our leaders can’t even agree within the Anglican Communion, so what hope between denominations, or even faiths. But at grass-roots level, people of various denominations and faiths do work and worship together; and don’t worry overly much about our differences.

I will never forget one funeral I went to where Buddhists were invited to take an active part in a Christian funeral, in a Christian Church. It was an amazing experience. But, most importantly, it was right for the wonderful person who’s funeral it was.

Unity can happen; it does happen; and with God’s help it can grow.

Risen Christ,
faithful shepherd of your Father’s sheep:
teach us to hear your voice
and to follow your command,
that all your people may be gathered into one flock,
to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Additional Collect for The Fourth Sunday of Easter
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council