Methodist Central Hall – 10th
July 2005
Specials We can’t
fast forward A1
LESSONS: Psalm 42:1-11, Luke 19:41-44
I often catch the 6.40am Central Line tube train to
get to work.
However, as I’d been in Edinburgh for the Radio Festival, I decided
to catch a later one on Thursday 7th July 2005.
It was a normal day: In a crowded carriage people
were reading newspapers, listening to IPODS, sleeping,
putting on their make up
(the women that is) etc.
At Mile End, I usually change and get on the District
Line to St. James’ Park. BUT, that
morning,
the first to arrive was a Hammersmith and City line train, so I
thought I’d get on and change at Aldgate East.
The train never left the platform.
We were told to get off – apparently a power surge
just a few minutes down the line.
The reality was that at 9 mins to 9 on 7th
of the 7th, the first of a series of devastating bombs had exploded
causing the death of innocent people simply making their way to work.
Those on my train didn’t know what had happened.
There was a sense of disruption (not unfamiliar) –
people moaning, as they like to do, at ‘yet another failure’
on the
underground.
The complaints got worse as each time we tried a
different line and had to get off each as trains were gradually
being
terminated and the lines suspended.
Everyone was heading for buses – not knowing what had
a happened on a bus in Woburn
Square.
Gradually the sound of sirens filled the streets and
it was evident that something seriously awful had happened
– more than a ‘power
surge’!
As the story began to unfold, many people reacted by
phoning their loved ones.
Frances rang me to see if I was okay, and told me
what had been reported on the news.
The mobile phones then went dead, as the plug was
pulled on most networks so that the emergency services
could operate
effectively.
On the whole people were calm, just not knowing what
to say or do.
Due to the ongoing ferocious activity of those
hell-bent on using terror to further their cause,
the inevitability of an
attack on London had dawned.
As the full extent of the gruesome story is still
being established, everyone is left feeling sick, numb, and empty.
So, today is a day for reflection, prayer and turning
to God.
As we do, I have in my mind's eye, that powerful
picture of Jesus crying over the city of Jerusalem in our Gospel lesson.
He had just entered the Holy City on a colt and people had praised him.
This was just before he went to turn over the tables
of the money changers in the Temple.
We read: “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the
city, (Jesus) wept over it …”
Sisters and
brother, picture Jesus weeping over this city of London:
“If you, even
you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace …”
Whilst the world’s most powerful leaders were meeting
for the G8 summit, and many were seeking justice for the world and to broker
deals to improve the environment; as people were full of hopes following Live8;
as Britain was celebrating the IOC’s decision that the 2012 Olympics would be
in Britain, ordinary people are slaughtered and our nation is numbed – despite
the wail of sirens there is a fearful silence that falls.
In all this, I believe Jesus weeps with us!
And our children are watching, and they see we are
disturbed from our eyes - even when we say it’ll be okay.
It dawns on me, that this kind of horror is a daily
reality in for the young and old in Iraq.
Moreover, I can’t help but think of the scale of
unnecessary and senseless deaths in other parts of the world
– regions of Africa, just an example.
And Jesus weeps as he watches over the cities of this
world:
“If…
you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace …” (Long Pause)
It was 1999, nearly Jonathan’s sixth birthday, so as
you can imagine, there was a lot of excitement in the Miles household.
To top it all, football crazy Jonathan was elated
when he heard the headlines at the time:
England had beaten Poland at Wembley!
His eyes were glued to the TV during the
early evening news, and he was eagerly awaiting the live sports report – hoping
to catch some highlights from the match.
The trouble was that at that time, the war in Kosovo
was understandably dominating the broadcast.
After a while, Jonathan wearily said to his mum: ‘Can’t
you ‘fast forward’ this bit onto the football?’
He didn’t want to hear any more bad news
about fighting and refugees;
he was impatient and naturally wanted to focus on
the good news: the triumph at Wembley!
At his age, who could blame him?
Obviously a little boy wasn’t going to understand
fully the seriousness of a war situation and why the England match was less highly rated
by the TV programmers.
Now, if this story had happened last week, perhaps a
6 year old Jonathan would’ve wanted to ‘fast forward’ over all the horror of the past few days, to get on with the celebrations concerning the
Olympics - to more normal and appealing programming.
We smile at his words. Yet, though we may not admit it, WE can be
tempted to want to ‘fast forward’ when confronted with the reality of
terror and devastation here on our doorstep.
It’s too frightening and unbelievable to
cope with – naturally we prefer joy and victory, to tears and loss.
In a sense, the same may have been true of the events
that were soon to follow Jesus’ tears as he looked over Jerusalem – the painful story of Jesus’ road
to the cross.
If only Jesus could have fast-forwarded to his victory
of love. (Pause)
Many find Holy Week difficult.
They want to ‘fast forward’ to the Easter Day
celebrations, without first dwelling on the events that led up to
the eventual
triumph of Jesus’ resurrection.
Just as Jonathan needed to learn that life isn’t
always easy, or full of excitement, so I believe Christians we need to consider
the whole Easter story, including the more difficult and disturbing
parts.
Jesus’ passion and death was necessary, and it’s
important that we face it.
The glory of Easter Day can only be fully
appreciated, IF we first understand Jesus’ suffering love: His sacrifice for a
broken and sinful world.
Jesus didn’t ‘fast forward’ over the pain of
his cruel death.
Rather he demonstrated the extent of his love.
It’s because of this we can know he’s present with us
through the tough times.
He understands and holds out the hope that ultimately
we can share his victory and be part of his winning team of love!
So, I believe we
have to feel the pain today and
remember the way of Jesus.
Our hearts must
never become hardened and heartless in the face of such suffering and cruelty.
We can only begin
to imagine the pain of those directly affected, but it is right that we
sympathise and weep with them in their sorrow.
What’s more, we
must lovingly support them in our prayers.
We must pray that
we hold on what Archbishop Rowan Williams calls ‘the redeeming power of
goodness’
that we see in our Saviour, Jesus.
Why?
So that, when it
comes to God’s ultimate judgement, those who put their faith in Jesus will
finally triumph
in the battle between the powers of light and darkness.
Through our
tears, Christians must live in love and hold on to the hope of heaven – where, for the faithful, all the injustices of this world will be put right. (pause)
This event must
change us all and our society!
Life can be hard
to understand.
We long for
answers to the problem of suffering in the world, because it constitutes the
single
greatest challenge to the Christian faith.
But it's
dangerous, even foolish, to pretend that we have a complete answer as to why
God allows suffering.
It seems to me
that one of the clues into the mystery of suffering in the world has to do with
free will.
In order for the
world to operate the way it does, God has taken the risk of allowing free will.
Pictured in the
story of Adam and Eve and what we call “the fall” in Genesis.
Perhaps, the
price of allowing ‘’freedom’’ is the risk of suffering in the world.
If this is true,
I’m sure it pains God every time His risk of freedom has negative consequences
- in a mysterious way God shares in the sufferings of the world. (Pause)
I'd like to read
something from Helen Waddell's novel, where Peter Abelard struggles with this
belief.
He was walking in
the woods and came across a rabbit.
It was shrieking
in pain in a poacher's trap.
As his friend
watches, Abelard releases it and holds it in his arms.
"It lay for
a moment breathing quickly, then in some blind recognition of the kindness that
had met it at the last, the small head thrust and nestled against his arm, and
it died. It was the last confiding
thrust that broke Abelard's heart.
"Thibault," he said, "do you think there is a God at all? Whatever has come to me, I earned it. But what did this one do?" Thibault nodded. "I know," he said. "Only - I think God is in it
too," "In it? Do you mean that it makes him suffer, the way
it does us?" Again Thibault nodded.
"Then why
doesn't he stop it?" "I don't
know," said Thibault. "Unless
it's like the Prodigal Son. I suppose
the father could have kept him at home against his will. But what would have been the use? All this", he stroked the limp body,
"is because of us. But all the time
God suffers. More than we do." Abelard looked at him, perplexed. "Thibault, do you mean Calvary?" Thibault shook his head. "That was only a piece of it - the piece
we saw - in time. Like that." He pointed to a fallen tree beside them, sawn
through the middle. "That dark ring
there, it goes up and down the whole length of the tree. But you only see it where it is cut
across. That is what Christ's life was;
the bit of God that we saw. And we think
God is like that because Christ was like that, kind, and forgiving sins and
healing people. We think that God is
like that forever, because it happened once, with Christ. But not the pain. Not the agony at the last. We think that stopped." "Then, Thibault," Abelard said
slowly, "you think that all this," he looked down at the quiet body
in his arms, "all the pain of the world, was Christ's cross?"
"God's
cross", said Thibault. "And it
goes on." (Long
Pause)
In John 14v9
Jesus said: "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father".
His whole life
was revealing God's love and mysterious ways – we mustn’t reach for the ‘fast
forward’ button!
To know what God
is like, we must look at Jesus and understand that Salvation comes through a
suffering Saviour.
The book of
Colossians says: "(Christ) is
the image of the invisible God ... For God was pleased to have all his fullness
dwell in him and through him to reconcile to himself to himself all
things..."
(Colossians 1:15,19 - NIV)
Jesus acts as God
acts; He loves as God loves; He grieves as God grieves; He suffers as God
suffers;
AND the cross reveals divine suffering love!
Then, through the
glory of the resurrection, it can offer people hope and purpose today in London
– if in their time of need, they turn to their God of love and trust in Jesus.
In the joys and
pains of ordinary life, we are very close to the cross.
Yet, to endure
hardship and remain close to God requires all the grace that Christ can
give.
We need grace
in the midst of it all, to hear and respond to Jesus' words to us:
"If anyone would come after me, he
must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Pause)
So, suffering is
a mystery.
But true
disciples of Jesus are called to remain obedient to Jesus, and follow his way.
That those around
us might know that God loves them despite the evils of this world.
This path is not
an easy one and it will mean sacrifice – the “redeeming power of Goodness”.
Not ‘good deeds’
alone, but faith in Christ Jesus that bears the fruit of goodness.
Out of the
dreadful events of Thursday there are wonderful stories of acts of love and
kindness to give us hope.
For example: we heard of Taxi drivers not charging stranded
people, but giving them a lift Free Of Charge
out of the danger zones (Now there’s a
miracle!)
But there were
many other such stories of goodness in the face of evil. (Pause)
Well, what a week
it was last week!
Today, if we put our trust in
Christ, turn away from our sin, and share in the suffering of the world,
we
shall also share in the victory of Christ's love.
No terrorist will achieve their objectives through bombs or
violence.
So hold on to the vision of Live8;
hold on to those in the G8 who are working for justice and the
preservation of
our environment; hold on the hopes of the Olympics;
BUT most of all, hold on the vision
of God’s kingdom!
For after the cross came
resurrection, and through the resurrection there is hope for us now,
and the
promise of justice and new life beyond the grave!
As we leave worship this morning, none of us knows what will happen in the days
ahead.
Things will not necessarily ‘get
better’, I’m afraid!
The Bible warns us that until Christ
comes again, there will be an on-going battle between good and evil.
BUT, ultimately, Christians are on the
winning side.
Therefore, let us not live in fear,
because God’s word says “Perfect love casts out ALL fear”.
But let’s hold onto that well known saying, “we don’t know what the future
holds, but we know who holds the future”. Amen.
