Jesus is risen

TODAY in a Cathedral service in Ireland, two ex-prisoners will sing in the same choir. In the 1970s they wanted to kill each other; now they are friends. Ask these former terrorists - one Catholic, the other Protestant - what has changed them and they will point you to the Bible story of Good Friday.

This great story, in which Jesus prays that God will forgive his executioners, is still very potent. It can and does make a practical difference in the real world.

A few years ago Good Friday was regarded as a sacred day by many and a Bank Holiday by all. Now it is open season for shopping. In a recent radio interview I was asked whether I regret this.

As I reflected on this question, I realised that I didn't mind all that much. Of course I feel sorry for those who are prevented by work from worshipping on this holy day.

But in a very real sense, the story of the crucifixion of Jesus belongs in the shopping mall, rather than the sanctuary. This was put very powerfully by Lord McLeod of Iona.

"I simply argue that the cross be raised again at the centre of the market place as well as on the steeple of the church. I am recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral between two candles, but on a cross between two thieves; on the town garbage heap... at the kind of place where cynics talk smut, and thieves curse, and soldiers gamble."

Busy, bustling villages, towns and cities present the churches with a fine opportunity - to take the Easter message out of their buildings and on to the streets.

The large number of processions, dramatic presentations and outdoor services, shows that many churches are alive to this opportunity.

However, the secularisation of Good Friday does come with a price tag. My real worry is that the greatest story ever told will be told less frequently, and become less widely known. This would, I believe, have serious consequences for society at large. I can think of at least three:

Firstly, the Nation's Memory. We are what we remember. Remove someone's memory and their personality disintegrates, for they have no points of reference. Might this apply to a nation too? The great Bible stories have shaped our national life over many centuries. They are our rich inheritance.

Secondly, making sense of our lives. Jeremy Paxman spoke recently of "the astonishing force of the Christian story".

Good Friday takes us to the very heart of what it is to be human. It probes with deep insight vital areas such as human motivation and ambition; human cruelty and courage; treachery and integrity; moral strength and weakness; the redemptive power of love.

All these great themes are there. In our imagination we can identify with the characters of the story. We can feel the pressures upon Pontius Pilate. We can empathise with Peter whose boasts crumble before the taunts of a servant girl. We can stand with the women who alone emerge from the story with credit, as they stay near to Jesus throughout.

Countless thousands will do this today in church and at home. As they do so their hearts will be warmed by the love of their Lord, who gave his life for them. And they will become more acutely aware of their own frailty and petty betrayals - and perhaps their own courage too. Such insights are the beginning of wisdom.

Thirdly, hope. I recall a conversation with a woman whose child had died. She told me that she drew strength from a particular saying of Jesus. I expected her to quote something upbeat like, "Lo, I am with you always."

To my surprise she pointed to the Good Friday story - repeating the most desolate of the words spoken by Jesus on the cross. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me." She told me that she drew strength from the knowledge that Jesus understood her own personal desolation, because he had been there too.

Most of us draw hope from the glorious resurrection stories which will be read on Easter Sunday. My own favourite features Mary Magdalene.

Early on the first Easter Sunday, Mary went to the garden where Jesus was buried - only to discover that his body had disappeared. In her distress, Mary approached the gardener with the poignant request: "Please show me where you have laid him." But according to St John's Gospel, Mary was not talking to a gardener. She was talking to a carpenter. It was Jesus himself, risen from the dead. He addressed Mary by name and at that moment she recognised him.

Throughout the centuries, Christians have placed themselves in that story. They have heard the risen Lord speak their own name with tender affection and love. They have received strength and joy.

Fact or fiction? Schindler's List is a remarkable and powerful story. Its power is greatly enhanced when we realise it is not a work of fiction; it really happened.

What then of the Easter stories? Are they fact or fiction? It is certain that Jesus of Nazareth died on a cruel Roman cross.

But was Mary right in believing that she spoke to Jesus, alive from the dead? Some believe she was, while others don't.

It is my deeply held conviction that God did raise Jesus from the grave, and that Easter casts a wonderful light upon our lives and relationships.

We are not on our own in a cold, uncaring universe. Shot through all things is the radiance of the love of God and the power of resurrection and new life.

Whether you believe or whether you don't, I would encourage you to re-read these great stories for yourself.

As you do so, it is my prayer that you will find yourself declaring with the world-wide Church:

Alleluia, Christ is risen!

He is risen indeed, Alleluia!

Canon John Young has written several Hodder paperbacks which explore these themes, including The Cast Against Christ, Teach Yourself Christianity and Wrestling With Giants.

Updated: 09:53 Friday, April 13, 2001