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Thought for the Week 25 April – 4th Sunday of Easter
‘A
holiday to remember’ said one person
returning to the UK after a tortuous journey which had taken several days and
had cost a lot of money, all caused by the aerospace ban over the UK as a
result of the volcanic ash cloud. It was a significant moment for that person,
as it was for thousands of others. It was a time they will not quickly or
easily forget. The eruption of the volcano in Iceland is also significant for
the volcano’s own history – the last time it erupted was in 1821 and this
continued until 1823. Prior to that there were two other recorded eruptions,
one in 920 and the other in 1612. In
the life of the volcano, the current eruption is significant but, it is a
mere blip in terms of geological time and the history of the earth. In the
context of human history and events, however, this eruption has severely
disrupted people’s lives and the economies
of several countries. Potentially it could have been even more serious, and
may still be so, but let us hope that the immediate danger is now past. This event was then a significant moment for
human beings on their timeline and for the volcano on its timeline. ‘Significant
Moments’ occur, and have occurred, throughout the history of our planet and
of the history of the human race. They have made the natural world as it is
today, volcanoes and earthquakes included. We cannot easily avoid them or
indeed, in the main, determine or control them, either those in the natural
world or those in our own lives. Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and other
natural phenomena are salutary indicators to us that we are not masters of
the universe. Insurance companies are anxious to call Iceland’s volcanic
eruption an act of God! I do not
propose to discuss in depth whether this is a justified statement or just a
useful let out clause. For us to
understand the reasons why it might be said that God allows destructive and
painful events is very complex if, as we believe, he is a God of love.
Suffice it to say that for me, God has created a world in which there is
randomness and uncertainty which cause human beings to face the challenge of
good and evil. A world which did not have this challenge would be a ‘heaven
on earth’ and human beings would not have to strive to try to achieve
perfection. We know that this not the human condition, as we have received
it, and we believe that our faith in the risen Christ gives us encouragement
and grace to endeavour to overcome evil with good. Let
us consider ‘Significant Moments’ then in the life of each one of us. We will
all be able to recall many of these. The most important, of course, and
common to all of us is the moment of our birth. Subsequently our own personal
life has taken its course as the years
have proceeded but our home, our education, our friends, our husband, wife or
partner, our children, our employment and yes, our holidays – are just a few of the encounters and events which
will have made us who we are today. Of course there are other influences on
us, not least our genetic inheritance and our financial and geographical environment
but, most important of all, is a loving and caring home. For
us as Christians, an event of major significance in the course of human
history was the birth of Jesus. His birth, death and resurrection, his
teaching and example were ‘significant moments’ in his life which have
subsequently affected and changed the course of human history. The Christian
Gospel, put in the context of the life of a volcano, is transitory but it has
stood the test for 2000 years; these years have contained many, many
‘significant moments’ for the human race. At times it seemed that the Gospel
would be annihilated by pagans or those of other beliefs. At other times, to its
great condemnation, the most heinous crimes were committed in the name of
Christianity and these were ‘significant moments’ which have permanently
stained its history. Of
course, our own Christian faith will have affected and influenced our lives
and many of our ‘significant moments’ and it continues to influence who we
are today. We must be ever vigilant to remember the words of Jesus in the
Gospel reading for today: “The work’s
that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; but you do not believe, because
you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they
follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.” We must
be mindful and watchful of those ‘significant moments’ in our lives when evil
might be prowling around and the temptations to go astray are strong. In
the first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard how Tabitha, who
was considered dead by all who knew her, was recalled to life by the apostle
Peter. It was obviously a very ‘significant moment’ for Tabitha. We can
imagine Peter and Tabitha standing together to witness to the new life she
had received and to the potential for resurrection within the Christian
fellowship. This witness has continued throughout the Christian centuries and
is a source of life in the Church today. Much of the work of our Lord, the
risen Christ, and the Holy Spirit is not in the limelight but is present in
the quiet but active, sincere and faithful action of His devout followers. These
people can have an immensely powerful effect on the questing of others for
faith. There are those who will have found a wholeness of life through a newly
found faith in the risen Lord and who, by telling their story, describing their
‘significant moment’, have brought a new vision and hope to their community. There
is in Ghent Cathedral in Belgium a Triptych – a famous and beautiful painting
of the scene described in the second reading from the Revelation of John. It
is by the brothers Hubert and Jan van Eyck and is entitled: “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb”. It was
completed in 1432 and is considered to be one of the world’s treasures. It
has had a chequered history over the last 200 years particularly during the
war in the 1940’s.Even today, a replica piece for one panel replaces that
stolen in 1934. The painting consists of two central panels and two outer
panels with a total of 10 pictures. The main picture in the lower centre
shows the adoration of the Lamb of God, with people streaming from all sides
to worship the Lamb. From the sky, a dove representing the Holy Spirit
illuminates the scene; the Lamb is surrounded by fourteen angels. There are
many other people depicted – the Saints and Martyrs of God. “These are they who have come out of the
great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood
of the Lamb.” - the words of St
John in our second reading. This triptych is recognized as representing a
‘new conception of art’ – it was a ‘significant moment’ in the history of
painting. The words and imagery of John indicate a mystical and significant moment
for him and so, through his language and his vision, he communicates
something of the awe and majesty of God. The brothers van Eyck , through their
spectacular and expressive painting of the scene, also bring us, in a different
way, into the presence of God. Both the words of John and the painting by the
brothers van Eyck continue to cause
many thousands of people to experience a significant and mystical moment in
their lives. ‘Significant
Moments’ seen in the course of human history and in the course of our own
lives - let us pray that we may be ever watchful as they appear for us and
let us remember the words of Jesus in the Gospel reading: “The works that I do in my Father’s name
testify to me.” Revd
John King: Anglican Chaplaincy of Midi-Pyrénées & Aude Attached is a copy of the central panel of the van Eyck
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