With no body in the grave, the disciple women and men, the soldiers, the authorities were all in disarray. Jesus’ followers were ambivalent: joy and hope, yes, but also denial, doubt and chilling fear.
How to hold all these? How to live on in the present with such ambiguity: generosity, suffering, waiting, love, anxiety and joy … everything changing, absence, certainties gone.
Where are there ambiguities in the life I am living? Where did there used to be certainty, but now unknowing?
How do I hold the tension of the violence of the food chain alongside our trust in a loving Creator God?
Where are the signs of hope? Of the reign of the loving God being at hand – ‘now-but-not-yet?
…
He moana pukepuke e ekeinga e te waka
A choppy sea can be navigated
…
The Lord’s Prayer (an alternative version from the New Zealand Prayer Book 2005)
Eternal Spirit,
Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and shall be,
Mother and Father of us all,
Loving God in whom is heaven –
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe;
The way of your justice be followed by all peoples on Earth;
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings;
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on Earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us;
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us;
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us;
From trials too great to endure, spare us;
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is Love,
What good thing might be blocked by my tight holding?
…
Mauria te whakapono.
Believe in yourself – trust the process?
…
Today, consider space, emptiness, absence: invite the Holy One to come with you and draw your attention to a particular open space – it may be a stretch of water, an open field, the night sky, a large sand dune . . simply gaze.
Acknowledge the edges, the horizons, the perimeter … let them go and stay with the empty space.
No sketch pad, no journal, no device, no talking, no hurry,… simply be. Be with the focus of your gaze. . . let go, be with the absence, the waiting.
In the making of bread and wine, living plants are cut down and destroyed, vines are ransacked, grains and grapes are crushed and ground …
a violent process in order to sustain life, nourishment and community.
And so for the created world, all us creatures, “nature red in tooth and claw”, deaths and births, being broken, crushed, and poured out, for another.
…
He waka eke noa.
We are all in the same boat.
….
Where do I go with suffering? Where am I complicit with violence?
Where do I currently see, experience, or hear about pain and distress? How do I hold the reality, the paradox of beauty and ashes?
a thrush egg fallen from a nest
…
Jesus of Nazareth
The cross was a torture.
It only gives life
Because you made it hollow.
Bring life to us, Jesus
Especially when we
Are in the places of the dead
Because you brought life
Even to the instruments of death. AMEN
: Padraig O Tuama, Daily Prayers (2017)
…
Today, come alongside creatures: invite the Holy One to come with you and draw your attention to a particular invertebrate, a bird, a sheep, a mollusc, a human being . . simply gaze. No sketch pad, no journal, no device, no talking, no hurry,… simply be. Be with the focus of your gaze. . . attend, acknowledge the suffering.
We have lived by the assumption that what was good for us would be good for the world. And this has been based on the even flimsier assumption that we could know with any certainty what was good even for us. We have fulfilled the danger of this by making our personal pride and greed the standard of our behavior toward the world – to the incalculable disadvantage of the world and every living thing in it. And now, perhaps very close to too late, our great error has become clear. It is not only our creativity – our own capacity for life – that is stifled by our arrogant assumption; the creation itself is stifled.
We have been wrong. We must change our lives, so that it will be possible to live by the contrary assumption that what is good for the world will be good for us. And that requires that we make the effort to know the world and to learn what is good for it. We must learn to cooperate in its processes, and to yield to its limits. But even more important, we must learn to acknowledge that the creation is full of mystery; we will never entirely understand it. We must abandon arrogance and stand in awe.
Wendell Berry (1968) A Native Hill
Lois and I have just enjoyed a few days with three of her grandchildren, playing games, visiting museums, sharing activities. One of the highlights was taking the children to the fields below the Church – picking blackberries, collecting horse manure for the garden, and paddling in the stream. All simple pleasures, connecting with creation, appreciating the wonder, beauty and joy of the earth.
More than 50 years ago, Wendell Berry captured a profound truth in his essay A Native Hill. I hope, for our grandchildren’s sake, that we haven’t left it too late. If we could all capture just a little bit of the awe of which he speaks – to realise that ‘what is good for the world will be good for us’ – perhaps we can recapture hope, too.
In today’s media-rich world, in which corporations and politicians appear to manipulate facts and opinions for their own ends, and where claims of fake news and conspiracy theories dominate social media, the words of the Hebrew prophet Isaiah seem particularly pertinent:
Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands at a distance; for truth stumbles in the public square, and uprightness cannot enter.
(Isaiah 59: 14)
Living in our twenty-first century cultures, it can be challenging to embrace truth in our own lives and to discern truth in those around us and in the things we read, see and hear.
So how can we seek truth in our daily lives?
Here are a few suggestions to help guide us.
1. Take time to listen.
Our natural tendency is to grab the first thing we hear/read, judge that in the light of our own opinion, and on that basis either accept it as the truth or dismiss it as false. We need to take time to listen to others, to hear fully what they are saying. There will always be more than one side to any particular story, so taking time to listen to different perspectives is important. It is particularly helpful to listen to those who are ‘experts by experience’ (for example, listening to disabled people on issues pertaining to accessibility). When listening to others, it can help to summarise or reflect back to them what you have heard – this can help us to clarify that we have truly heard them: ‘So what I’ve heard you say is… is that correct?’
2. Look for the source of any claimed truth.
It is worth spending a bit of time probing for the source of any claims, particularly on social media where it is so easy to re-post something we have seen. How valid and reliable is the source?
As a general rule, evidence from relevant experts (particularly where this is published in a reputable scientific journal or endorsed by a larger body of experts in the field), from a public (and publicly-accountable) body (such as the Office for National Statistics or the Care Quality Commission), or from a judicial process (for example, an independent inquiry or court ruling) are the most reliable and trustworthy sources.
In contrast, social media posts from unknown people or self-proclaimed experts should be treated with caution.
Politicians, pressure groups, opinion pieces in the media, and any individuals/groups with a vested interest tend to fall somewhere between the two. They deserve to be listened to, but may select evidence and present things in a way that supports their own particular viewpoint. Ask yourself, ‘whose interests are being served here?’
3. Be aware of our own biases.
We all carry our own set of perspectives and biases. Often these are so deeply ingrained that we are unaware of them. It is worth taking time to consider our own biases, where they have come from, and how they influence both what we hear/see and how we interpret it. For example, we might want to ask ourselves ‘what does it mean to me to be educated/white/male (or the converse of any of those)? What privileges or disadvantages does that bring? How does it affect how I read and interpret the news?’ It is helpful to reflect on what we hear in the light of our own experience, while recognising that our experience will only be one example and others may have different perspectives.
It is worth remembering that truth comes in different guises: the truth expressed in a poem or a piece of art will be different to that of a scientific formula or an historical account, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Learn to value different expressions of truth.
4. Appraise what we hear in the light of what we know of God and of Jesus’ life and teaching.
For those of us who are followers of Jesus, we will want to consider how what we are hearing bears up in the light of God’s revelation through the Bible. For those of us from other faith traditions or philosophical stances, we may have other reference points from which to appraise what we are hearing. We need to be aware, however, that we all have our own perspectives on who God is and how we interpret the Bible or other scriptures. Be cautious about using isolated verses of scripture to justify particular positions, and appraise what you read in the light of the overall revelation of God and God’s will for our world. How does it align with the revelation of God as our loving creator who wants to reconcile the whole of creation? Is it in keeping with justice, mercy and humility; with loving our neighbour; with the ten commandments or the Beatitudes? How does it match up to what we see in the life and teaching of Jesus, and his death and resurrection?
5. Look for the fruits of truth.
The fruit of the Spirit [the Spirit of truth] is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5: 22-23). Are those the fruits that you see arising from what you are hearing? Does it lead to love, joy and a sense of peace? Or does it lead to division, a sense of despair, or to turmoil (inner or outer)? Does it lead to freedom for yourself and for others (John 8: 32)?
6. Test it out with others whom you trust.
Find other people whose character and opinion you trust. Listen to their perspectives. Sound out your ideas and opinions and be open to change. Be wary, though, of the little echo-chambers we tend to build around ourselves (on social media and in our friendship groups), surrounding ourselves with others who share the same views and opinions. It is helpful to actively seek out those whose views differ to ours and take time to listen, graciously, to what they are saying.
Some suggestions for taking this further:
· Do a word study on truth using a concordance or digital Bible
A dawn chorus drifts over the Nam Ou river from the steep banks on the other side. In the village behind us, several cockerels compete to rouse the neighbourhood. A thick mist shrouds the surrounding mountains and a couple of fishermen cast their nets into the still, green waters.
Occasional rumbles of thunder carry a sense of foreboding. And then it is upon us: the skies grow dark again, the wind whips up waves on the serene water, and the skies open. A tropical storm with all its fury.
In Ukraine, the rumble of Russian thunder may have moved away from Kyiv. But it has left a trail of horrific destruction. And the skies there haven’t cleared; the storm just moving East for a further onslaught.
What a beautiful town: wide avenues along the confluence of the Nam Khan and Mekong rivers, lined with spacious French and local buildings – remnants of the late 19th and early 20th century. Cafés, bistros, markets.
And yet, behind all this, there is a history of brutality and exploitation: Thai imperialism; French colonialism; American military aggression. And now, Chinese economic expansionism.
Luang Prabang lies nestled among the mountains and jungles of Northern Laos. An area of incredible beauty. But we are seeing it all through the dense pall of smoke from the slash and burn fires as farmers all around clear areas for next year’s crops. Even the sun just shimmers as a dull red globe hanging in the breathless, oppressive air.
Our world, too, groans with the exploitation of people and planet: violence, greed, a trampling on all that is good.
The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spat on him, falling on their knees they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
As Russian troops continue to withdraw from around Kyiv, we hear more and more of the terrible atrocities inflicted on innocent civilians. The conflict in Ukraine is devastating.
I pray for peace for an end to the fighting, to the bombardment of Ukrainian cities, to the fear and terror. I pray for justice, for the freedom of the Ukrainian people. And I pray for those who are orchestrating this war to be brought to account. I pray, in time, for restoration, for the rebuilding of cities and of lives, for healing.
And while all this is going on in Ukraine, so much is going on also in Yemen, Eritrea, Syria, Myanmar, and so many other parts of the world.
How can it be right that, while so much conflict, distorted truths, prejudice and lies pervade our world, I can be here in Laos, enjoying peace and beauty? Why are we so privileged? To be able to enjoy and appreciate goodness? To exercise, to enjoy so much life, when so many cannot?
