“Then they told what had happened on the road,
and how he (Christ) had been made known to them
in the breaking of the bread.” (Luke 24: 34, 35)
Lent 2021
Dear Friends in Christ:
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit us back in 2020, the Church was in Lent, getting ready for Passion Sunday. It feels like we have been in one long continuous Lent ever since! A year ago, I would not have believed that our buildings would be closed to public worship two Easters in a row! Few of us understood then, that COVID was not a sprint, but a marathon; not a short trip, but a long journey.
In the Gospel of Luke, two disciples met the Risen Christ on the road to Emmaus, but they did not recognize him. The disciples were sorrowful, anxious, afraid and confused by the terrors of Good Friday. Jesus walked with them along the road, accompanying them in their inner suffering and pain. The living Christ, who suffered with and for the brokenness and alienation of the world, is present to us in our time of need, and accompanies us as we journey through our own anxious and troubled days.
Initially, the two un-named disciples did not know who was accompanying them. Like those disciples, we may not always be aware that we are being supported and sustained by grace. Resurrection faith may come like a sudden dazzling light (Paul on a different road), or it may come more as a gradual dawning sunrise. It may also come as we “live into” our questions and doubts (Thomas). Jesus broke open God’s Word of Holy Scripture as they walked, and he broke the bread at the inn, just as he did at the Last Supper. It was then that the disciples recognized the Risen Christ and found renewed hope and life again!
As our COVID journey continues, may we be like those first disciples and recognize that God in Christ is with us. May we recognize Christ in our virtual Easter worship services; in the hearts of those who love and befriend us; in the beauty and bounty of spring; and in the needs of our neighbours.
At this time, when the vaccine rollout is lifting our spirits, we know, that as people of Easter faith, it is the sacrificial love of God that will sustain our souls. It is the vision of Christ as Servant King, reigning on the Cross, that will strengthen our hands for service, as we mend lives bruised and broken by COVID, and its harmful effects on our society. It will be God’s power working in us, doing more than we can ask for or imagine, that will renew our world.
The two disciples returned to Jerusalem with a story of the Risen Christ to share. But their companions also had their own resurrection story: “The Lord is risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon.” Imagine how they were able to encourage one another with Easter hope, as they journeyed together into God’s future. May we also encourage each other, for we too must journey onward.
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank all of our financial supporters who, through PAR, or cheques in the mail or dropped off at our churches, have kept us going through these difficult times. Our buildings may be closed but our ministry is open and active! Your financial gifts are like oil in the lamp of the Church’s work and witness to the Risen Christ. Thank you!
Yours in Faith:
Fr. Peter +
The Ven. Peter Crosby, Incumbent