Thought for the Month April 2025

Here we are, two thirds of the way through Lent, just two weeks to go before the glorious celebrations of Easter Sunday. But will we be celebrating? We’ll come back to that.

Last Month Danny reminded us of the three pillars of Lenten observance offered by the church, abstinence, prayer and alms giving. I wonder how we’ve all been getting on. Among other things, for me personally, he made two very important points I needed to remember, that the purpose of Lenten observance is for us to focus on our relationship with God, and that honest reflection in that process provides meaningful spiritual value.

Those who have heard me speaking recently will know, that at the forefront of my thinking in recent months has been how our actions need to reflect a response to Jesus’ teachings, His examples and above all His death and resurrection. It’s something James speaks about in his letter – one I’ve quoted and spoken about many times!

James 2:14-17

Faith and Deeds

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

We all know, I’m sure, that our actions have consequences, be they good or bad, large or small; consequences for the here and now and for the future, even if we don’t always see them they will be there, for better or for worse. It’s why it is so important we try, at all times, to make our actions reflect our faith in Christ, His teachings, and perhaps most importantly, what he did for us on the cross. Honest reflection during this Lenten period has led me to see something else more clearly. Our actions that are bad today not only have consequences now and in the future, but also have consequences in the past. No, I haven’t fallen into the world of ‘Dr Who’, I’m talking about a very specific time in the past, just over 2000 years ago. As we head towards Easter and as I’ve reflected on my relationship with God, the journey His Son took to the cross, the humiliation and agony, the unimaginable death He suffered, I’ve also seen the part I played in it and sometimes still do! An uncomfortable thought, but a reality for all of us.

But then I see the love and forgiveness that poured from the cross, the tearing down of the metaphorical temple curtain that separated us from God, and I feel humbled and grateful.

Surely this deserves a response from us.

At the start of this thought I questioned whether we would be celebrating. I did this because, as we all know, we’re living in a world of dramatic change where people, communities, even countries are seen by some as things to be controlled, dominated, owned, who knows with what ulterior motives; people are suffering in more ways than a Thought for the Month can begin to explore, through wars, earthquakes, famine…

So, in this final run up to Easter let’s not wait until Easter Sunday to begin our response to the cross, and let’s not make it a once a year event, but a daily one where we shine a light on God’s grace and forgiveness in a world that desperately needs to see it. A world that needs to hear the voice of compassion, forgiveness, reconciliation, healing and Hope.

We can’t do it all by ourselves, but if, as followers of Christ, we don’t do our part, with God’s guidance and as Jesus instructed, we can’t blame God for the mess!

Let’s finish with the famous words of Reinhold Niebuhr (emphasis mine)

God grant me the serenity to

Accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can

And the wisdom to know the difference.

A little early, but I wish you all a Very Happy and Peaceful Easter. And may God bless each one of us, today and into the future. Amen