22 Apr 2011
Easter
It’s so strange to be in a different land on Good Friday.
Since 1990 I have worked with Fusion and churches in Australia to focus the real meaning of Easter.
It was a little disturbing to read the Age article last week that proclaimed that the Jesus story was going missing from our culture and several experts talking about how much poorer that made us.
Good Friday is a time to reflect on life that comes only through sacrifice.
I was interested to read the words of President Obama:
“As busy as we are, as many tasks as pile up, during this season, we are reminded that there’s something about the resurrection — something about the resurrection of our savior, Jesus Christ, that puts everything else in perspective.”
The president joked that in the “hustle and bustle” as the “inbox keeps accumulating,” The Holy Week is a reminder of so much.
The triumph of Palm Sunday. The humility of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. His slow march up that hill, and the pain and the scorn and the shame of the cross. And we’re reminded that in that moment, he took on the sins of the world — past, present and future — and he extended to us that unfathomable gift of grace and salvation through his death and resurrection.
“This magnificent grace, this expansive grace, this “Amazing Grace” calls me to reflect. And it calls me to pray. It calls me to ask God for forgiveness for the times that I’ve not shown grace to others, those times that I’ve fallen short. It calls me to praise God for the gift of our son — his Son and our Savior.
Not bad for a bloke less than half of Americans even believe is a Christian.
Have a blessed Easter.