We are here to help people love and worship God. We aim to be, and encourage others to become, committed and active disciples of Jesus,
who love God and worship him, who know the power of the Holy Spirit and who show God’s love in every part of their lives.
This year during Lent I have been leading a Lent course on Encountering the Bible through Icons. I read several books on Icons to prepare for it, and one reflection by Rowan Williams a former Archbishop of Canterbury set the whole tone of my own personal journey from Ash Wednesday to Easter.
He said that we look at Jesus in the Icon, but Jesus also looks at us. And He sees us. He sees us as we were meant to be, and He sees what we have made of ourselves.
That thought has been at the center of my prayers this Lent. It reminds me of who I am - made in the image of God, filled with the light of Christ. This is who I am … and yet. And yet how that image has become distorted, how that light has been hidden. I know that I am not the person that God made me to be. We all know this truth of ourselves. It is where Lent usually begins as we look at ourselves honestly.
And so this Lent I have considered how Jesus sees ‘What I have made of myself.’ I believe that He sees truly, but compassionately. I also believe that He breathes His Spirit upon us -upon me - to help us (to help me) find forgiveness and healing so that I may better reflect the image of God in my life.
I believe that Christ also sees this world. I believe that He sees the world as it was made to be - God’s creation, a holy place, a place of beauty and goodness and plenty. And He sees what we have made of this world.
By our wars and our pollution we treat God’s creation as something to be exploited and used. The bountiful resources of God’s creation are hoarded by the few while many have less that they need.
Sometimes faith and religion can be private - unconcerned with politics and economics and international relations. But Faith is not private - it is personal, but it is not private. Part of our following Jesus is fulfilled in seeking the healing of creation, the healing of our relationship with God’s creation. We are called to be peace-makers and reconcilers, called to see Christ in the other and in every other. This too is a part of our Easter faith.
As followers of Jesus we do not despair, either about ourselves or about creation, for, as St Augustine reminds us, “We are an Easter People.” the resurrection, the triumph of Christ is at the heart of our faith and our lives.
May the risen Christ be with this Easter. He says to us as He said to His first followers, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you … receive the Holy Spirit” Amen.
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