He's Not Here!

I've just caught the news about brawling monks at the church of the Holy Sepulchre — Israeli police rushed into one of Christianity's holiest churches Sunday and arrested two clergyman after an argument between monks erupted into a brawl next to the site of Jesus' tomb. (JERUSALEM (AP))

On hearing this I just wanted to shout, "He is not here, he is risen!"

On Remembrance Sunday of all days, what fuel has this added to the fiery argument that says "Religion is at the root of all wars."

Today I preached upon the Chroniclers words, "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 But this news report seems to be the antithesis of what this verse is saying. Its the age-old childish argument "My Dad (God) is stronger than your.....etc"

It was the former Salvation Army Officer Fred Brown who 38 years ago began to see that religious jingoism was failing to fulfil its purpose and went on to write, "The Christian community I have in mind will allow its members to work out their affinities within smaller groups; it will foster relationships of loving mutuality, and by its very nature, the nature of its basic evaluations and aims widen the possibility of personal fulfilment; its activities, many of them apparently secular and beyond the usual interest of church organisation, will serve creative ends and thereby clarify the essential requirements of fulfilment; it will provide traditional forms of worship without imposing them obligatory, and welcome new expressions of worship without imposing them on all and sundry. Its spirit of tolerance will be tested as experiments are shared in the overlaps.” (Fred Brown, Secular Evangelism (London SCM 1970 p112)

Is being Armenian, Orthodox, Wesleyan, Reformed, Catholic, or what ever really worth fighting about after all. If you wish to describe me in such terms I would probably reply a Reformed Evangelical Liberal Catholic with Orthodox Celtic overtones. I know, a chameleon by any other name, but a chameleon it could be said, takes on the identity of those around them, whilst essentially remaining the same in essence.

Arch Bishop Romero, the people's martyred bishop of San Salvador who, tired of oppression of his people through force, said, "Peace is not the product of terror or fear. Peace is not the silence of cemeteries. Peace is not the silent result of violent repression. Peace is the generous, tranquil contribution of all to the good of all. Peace is dynamism. Peace is generosity. It is right and it is duty."

Perhaps we need to remind ourselves of those who first entered the tomb and encountered the the angel who said to the women, Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.'

Come; See; Go; Tell and there you will see him!