I’ve always been a lover of history. It was always one of my favorite subjects in school. Mr. Eisert was one my favorite history teachers. He was the first instructor to invite students to think critically about things. For that, I am forever grateful.
As an adult I’ve been really Interested in with some would call “curious history” or the stuff they didn’t teach you in school. Like the “Spanish Flu”, the pandemic of the last century (Jan 1918 – Dec 1920.). I Never heard about it I was in school. I actually stumbled upon it literally. I found out about it for the first time when I went to visit my father’s grave. A few rows over from his plot, there is a memorial list all of this lost to the pandemic and a common grave for the poor who succumbed to the disease. I remember standing there looking at all the names etched on this large headstone. To be honest for me it just became a curious fact, an interesting thing just to look up and dig into.
Today, not yet a century since the official end of the forgotten great pandemic, we find ourselves in our own. This is now our history. In an encouraging message that Queen Elizabeth II recently broadcast to the people of her United Kingdom, she spoke great words of hope. Let me paraphrase. She said that her hope was that as people look back at our generation, they would see the courage which was our response in the face of adversity. They will see that we triumphed. A queen who has ruled longer than any other, and is no stranger to challenge, change and adversity, is calling us to hope. There will be an end. And what shall we as individuals and as a community look like? She is calling her people — all of us to a noble standard. Thank you, your majesty! You’ve certainly earned the title.
This is our current “history” as it were… but this week, this Holy Week, the emphasis for us believers is to His Story. A truth of ultimate hope. It is the truth; it is not fiction. It’s not a fantasy. It’s not a myth. It’s not a nice human explanation for all the bad things that happened to us. It’s the truth. Jesus is the Historic Face of the Invisible God. His life and passion and death cannot be erased. It’s a fact. It really happened. It’s as scientific and verifiable as the daily briefings we get on this virus—more so! This week we celebrate the victory of Jesus Christ son of God and son of man Who by his cross and resurrection destroyed death and restored life… Eternal life.
We are called annually in our Lenten journey and now specifically in the midst of what we don’t know, to focus upon that which we do! We have a savior. We have a messiah. We have Good News. We have been delivered from bondage to sin and idols to embrace freedom in Him. In Jesus our brother we are not only reconciled to the eternal Father we are made His sons and daughters through adoption! Jesus bore the weight of our sins on the cross. What was born was our eternal relationship to the Holy Trinity itself.
In the power of the Holy Spirit we are united in grace, fellowship and love. Our mission here is to proclaim that message by our lives—in our words our deeds or generosity our care our compassionate and loving proclaiming of the truth.
We are all in this together.
Reflect on this: Romans 5: 1 – 11
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access [by faith] to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God.
Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us.
For Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath. Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life.Not only that, but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Yes. Good news! We are all in this together!
