‘We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul…’ Hebrews 6:19
Dear friends
In this week of Passiontide we prepare to walk with Christ through Holy Week and his via dolorosa. We turn our hearts and minds to be in solidarity with the suffering servant Christ who did not stand back from suffering but exposed himself to it.
I remember well the first time I observed Holy Week, in my early 20s, and its extraordinary impact. Closely following the biblical events in the daily liturgies captured my imagination and drew me to the sense of being close to Christ, in heart and mind. Even when you have observed Holy Week many times, each time has new insights and experiences, because the life we bring is different as is the context of world events.
This year Holy Week comes at a time of great darkness. War in Europe opens up old fears relating to the past, and new fears for the future. I believe that the events of Holy Week and Easter will have a new resonance, urgency and truth.
The crucifixion shows us the profound truth that Jesus stays to suffer with us. The Son of God will not leave us and is not spared death. The eternal Christ suffers with suffering people still.
Then a further great truth is that life and love are stronger than death. Easter shows us that love wins. Because of this we have hope that is not just daydreaming or wishful thinking. The poet Christina Rossetti contrasts faith in Christ with ‘empty hopes and presumptuous confidence’. Because of the resurrection, Christian hope is sure and certain, it is a steadfast anchor of the soul. We can have confidence in the future. God did not make us for sorrow and sighing, but for life and love with God forever.
A photo from the war in Ukraine went viral on social media showing a life-sized statue of the crucified Christ being removed from the Cathedral of the besieged city of Lviv to be taken into safe storage underground. The figure of Jesus, with wide-spread arms was wrapped in foam sheets and taken to safety. This salvage expressed great faith and hope for the future and resistance against despair. Though the city is war-torn and present life is unimaginably hard, the people of Lviv protected their spiritual treasure because they are looking to a time when they can rebuild and restore, living in safety once again.
Christians have hope even during the darkest days because we know the truth of God that overcomes hatred, violence and lies. Love is stronger than death. We live by this truth and show this truth in every small act of kindness, salvage and forgiveness.
I will close with a prayer that our journey through Passiontide and Holy Week will lead to joy and hope:
Now the God of hope fill us
with all joy and peace in believing,
That we may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit;
Through him who died for us and rose again,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.