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The Anglican Church in Tasmania Search |
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a healthy church...transformingLIFE |
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April 2007 |
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A random act of kindnessBishop John's Easter message for 2007 Where Christmas is a time for celebration and gifts, Easter is more a time for reflection. The other day a friend of mine experienced one of those 'random acts of kindness' which occasionally happen to all of us. He received a parcel from a postman at the front gate and then absent-mindedly put it on the roof of his car. Several hours later he drove the car down towards the local shops. A four wheel drive behind him honked its horn a few times, but my friend took no notice. When he finally, half a kilometre later, pulled into the shopping centre car park, the four wheel drive pulled up behind and the passenger held out the parcel saying, 'We've been trying to get your attention. This fell off the roof of your car a few blocks ago.' My friend was embarrassed at his absent-mindedness, but much more conscious of how kind perfect strangers can be. He immediately resolved to look for an opportunity to do a similar act of random kindness for someone else. There's an echo of Easter in this story, an act of incredible kindness by God towards us, so often strangers from him. The self-sacrifice of Jesus which creates for us the possibility of a loving relationship with the God who made us is supreme kindness in action, despite our indifference, our selfishness. But there is nothing random about God's kindness which we remember at Easter. Rather, Easter is God's deliberate act of self-giving kindness. We remember that Jesus Christ died for all humanity. His was the sacrifice. Whether this Easter we go to a church service to worship with others or simply take a moment alone to quietly reflect on Jesus' example, it is God's costly and deliberate reaching-out that we remember. Jesus' whole life was punctuated by kindnesses - forgiving, loving, accepting everybody, talking with peasant farmers, mixing with tax collectors, upholding the dignity of women… the list goes on. They show us God's nature, the nature of a God who cares, who loves, who suffers with and for us, who is kind. In the spirit of Easter, let's work to build a better Tasmania, a better world together, where local community matters a great deal, where no-one is forgotten, where random acts of kindness become second nature. And let us take time to renew our understanding of Easter as an event where God reaches out to us, deliberately, wonderfully and at huge cost, in the death of his Son. May you experience God's kindness this Easter. Shalom,
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