I might be getting old!

I might be getting old, but looking back over the years I have been Rector here, and writing pieces for the IDCA news it is obvious that some things in the world do not seem to have changed.   People and nations seem to be filled with the same hatred, and exercise violence time and again against each other. It is easy to get depressed when you think on these matters.     But I am also aware of such acts of generosity, kindness and selfless love that I have witnessed time again between neighbours across our villages. There are very many Good people round here!

Rather than abandoning all hope, seeing these acts of human kindness fills me with an anticipation to see more, to look harder for glimpses of light and love in the darkest of times and to applaud goodness; to affirm goodness even.

Back in 2016 I wrote following attacks on a magazine in Paris and of the many people showed solidarity at the time with the magazine’s workforce but more so with all their fellow human beings, no matter what colour, age, ability or gender. They did this through the ‘Je Suis …’ campaign.  ‘Je Suis’, of course, as my fellow CSE French students will know simply means – ‘I Am’! ‘I am you’, we are one and the same was the basis of the campaign — your pain is my, is our pain.

These two words, ’I am’,  were often on Jesus’ lips. His use related both to God, who simply ‘is’, but also to Jesus’ solidarity with the entirety of humanity.  ‘Who are you?’, was the question asked of  Jesus; his reply ‘I am…’.    I am the son of God, but I am also a son of humanity, of Adam.    Whether folks were the world’s ‘no-bodies’, the blind, lame, old, rejected, foreigners, young, powerless, or the ‘some-bodies’, kings, national rulers, empirical masters Jesus is simply ‘I am…’.

Through his words and actions Jesus both reveals he is with us and for us; for the poor, for the broken hearted, for justice, for peace with the earth, for healing, for all human flourishing.  And he shows what it is to be against oppression’, against the abuse of power, against  violence towards others.    He sought to put into words and actions what God was saying ‘I am love and I am for all of humanity! 

As he was for all, so Jesus calls us to follow, to be for all ourselves in love, justice and peace.   As this year spreads before us I wonder who we might stand with?  Who might we, in word and deed, say ’Je Suis…’, I am with you, for you to?