Last October I wrote about the contrast afforded by a dead tree. It was an old friend but the time has come for change; it has been cut down and the stump pulled out. It was probably becoming dangerous and was certainly in the way of farm machinery. Someone has gained a useful supply of firewood as well.
Ultimately, life is a bit like that. In his teaching based on the illustration of the vine, Jesus referred to the need to remove dead or fruitless branches in order to improve the vigour and productivity of the entity of the vine. It puts things into context when all that is left of a once majestic life is a patch of freshly disturbed soil. I can be very sentimental…
Christians rely on the image of the cross as a fixed point of reference and remembrance in a turbulent and changing world. The cross can get in the way of modern life but it is as important now as it was when Jesus was crucified on one, just outside Jerusalem, at the end of his earthly life. We may forget a dead tree, and the dead branches of a plant may need to be cut out, but the cross is more than the wood from which it is constructed; more even than the tree from which the wood was taken.
The empty cross is a point of reference. A reminder of what Jesus suffered to overcome the power of human failure and death but a signpost to an empty tomb. The empty tomb is about letting go and moving on again, it signifies hope in resurrection life and Jesus in a new form. Whenever I read the accounts of the resurrection appearances of Jesus I am reminded again of how shocking it must have been for the disciples to be jerked from all risk of sentiment to the challenges of the moment.
Imagine how hopeless it would have been had the disciples simply camped out on the spot where the cross had been and never noticed the risen Jesus, not heard his call to work with him to build the newly formed body of the Church on earth.
At the commencement of a new Methodist Connexional year, it is time to move on again, tackle what we are given to do, and give thanks for the life to which we are called.
A prayer
Lord, sentiment is comforting but we have work to do for you. The frozen moments of the past will not help the troubled nor feed the hungry. Breathe into us your Spirit of hope and invigorate us to be your people, working in your world. We rejoice in your life and we would serve you in your church with all heart, mind, soul and strength. Amen.