Living the Old Story
Hiroo Onoda died earlier this year at the age of 91. Hiroo was a Japanese soldier who fought in World War II far longer than he needed to. He refused to believe that the war had ended with Japan’s defeat in August 1945 and he lived for over three decades in the Philippine jungle, initially with three other comrades, but then alone. Trained in guerrilla warfare, he killed as many as 30 people who he believed to be enemy soldiers but who were in fact ordinary civilians. People had known about him since 1950 when one of his group left and arrived back in Japan. Attempts were made to persuade him to leave the Philippines and go back home but he thought these were a plot by the pro- US government in Tokyo and he stuck firmly to his mission, inspired by his loyalty to the Emperor in whose name he fought. He finally surrendered when his former commanding officer travelled to his hideout in 1974 to convince him that the war had ended. According to reports, he wept as he laid down his rifle that was still working perfectly after all those years. Onoda was living a different story to the rest of his people. He missed the seismic event that was the ending of World War II, and continued as if nothing had happened. He existed in fear instead of at peace; he lived as a fugitive rather than in safety; he saw people as enemies when they were potentially friends; he was alienated from his family when he could have gone home.
The Road to Emmaus
Cleopas and his friend were in a similar situation. Crushed and confused by the death of Jesus, they talked about the events of the previous few days as they walked the seven miles to Emmaus. Although they’d heard from the women that the tomb was empty, they didn’t realise how this changed the story they were living, and it seems they hadn’t quite got the beginning of the story right either. They’d missed the clues Jesus had given about why he was on earth and what was going to happen, and they felt disillusioned that he hadn’t redeemed Israel in the way they expected. They thought their time with Jesus was ending in death, failure and disappointment. Until, that is, a stranger joined them on their journey and rewrote the story for them.
Far more than a festival or a reason to eat chocolate, Easter marks the events that changed the course of human history.
It seems amazing to me that they didn’t recognise Jesus after a couple of hours of hearing him explain the scriptures to them. It was only when he broke bread that their eyes were opened, and they realised who this stranger was. Excited and energised, they got up and retraced their steps back to Jerusalem, to pass on the news that had just rocked their world.
Christ is Risen!
I love the rhythm of the Church calendar, the movement through the Christian story over the year that enables us to dwell with different aspects of our faith. But the downside is that it can all become over familiar far too easily, especially if you’ve been a Christian for a while. I once worked at Spring Harvest with a woman who was a missionary in Russia. On Easter Sunday she came into the room where we were about to run a session and almost shouted with joy, ‘Christ is risen!’ We all looked at each other and mumbled ‘Happy Easter’, but she wanted more! She explained that in Russia on Easter Sunday, everyone greets each other with those words, and then people reply ‘He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!’ She said that you could wake up a drunk tramp on the street on Easter morning and say to him, ‘Christ is risen’, and he would reply ‘He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!’ It made me realise how much I had lost of the wonder and significance of Easter. Far more than a festival or a reason to eat chocolate, Easter marks the events that changed the course of human history. I wonder how much we’ve allowed those events to change our lives. Like Hiroo Onoda, like Cleopas and his friend, are we living in the old story or have we allowed the events of Easter to rewrite our story for us? If you have time, find a notebook and a pen and a quiet corner. Sit and think about what has changed because of the death and resurrection of Jesus. How is your story now different because you have encountered the living Jesus? How is the world around you transformed by what happened over 2000 years ago? There are lots of different things you might identify but I’d invite you to think about these four.
Forgiveness
Dying in agony on the cross with the weight of the world’s sin on his shoulders, Jesus’ thoughts turned not to hate, revenge, anger or self-pity, but to forgiveness. ‘Father forgive them,’ he said, ‘for they do not know what they are doing’ (Luke 23:34). Having talked about forgiveness many times, Jesus practised it to the end. Forgiveness means that we are free from the past, that we do not need to live in guilt or fear, that we can make a fresh start as many times as we need to. Have you truly received God’s forgiveness for all the ways you’ve failed and hurt others? Or are you living with guilt, regret, or a sense of not being good enough for God?
Redemption
Colossians 1:15-20 reminds us that Jesus created all things, sustains all things and will redeem all things. Everything in this world that has been broken and corrupted by sin will be restored to what God originally intended in the age to come, and we can experience that in our world today. Jesus said, ‘The kingdom of God is here with you’ (Luke 17:21). We’re called to live a redeemed life, and to set up signposts to the kingdom of God, showing what the world would be like if God’s will was done on earth as it is in Heaven. Imagine a world without homelessness, sexism, poverty, greed, racism and oppression. Our task is to work with God’s spirit to make that future hope a reality now. Do you still have hope that things can be different in our world - that love will prevail and the broken will be restored? What area of brokenness does God want you to be active in, to bring in the redemption of Jesus?
Purpose
Jesus looked at Simon - the hot-headed disciple who sank when he was invited to walk on water, who denied he knew Jesus in his hour of need, who misunderstood the washing of feet – and said, ‘You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not overcome it’ (Matthew 16:17-20). Jesus saw beyond the mistakes and the impetuousness to see someone who, in time, would become faithful and fearless. Jesus spoke Peter’s future purpose over him while he was still making mistakes and long before there was any hint that he might be able to carry it out. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we’re not only brought into the family of God as God’s children, we’re welcomed onto the team of Father, Son, Spirit and Church that is working to transform this world. How sure are you of the purpose to which Jesus calls you? Can you see what you have to contribute to the bringing in of the kingdom of God?
Eternal Life
My Dad died last year after a long illness. For the last two years of his life he was confined to his bed, gradually losing the ability to do anything for himself or even move. He stayed gracious and grateful to the end because he wasn’t afraid of death. He knew that the end of his life would not be the end, and that he would soon be with Jesus. He said it would be his next big adventure. When the criminal dying next to Jesus on the cross asked to be remembered when Jesus came into his kingdom, Jesus said that he would be with him in paradise that same day. How real is the promise of eternal life to you? How might you live differently now because of that future with Jesus that is to come?
Reflect
How do you need to rewrite your story to live in the reality of God’s forgiveness, with the certainty of redemption, with a vibrant sense of purpose and with the promise of eternal life? Choose which of these you need to pay attention to, and go for a walk. On the way, think about how you’re still living in the old story as if Jesus had not risen again. Recognise that Jesus walks with you and ask him to help you understand how things should be different. Then turn around and walk back, praying that you would be able to live in the reality of the resurrection.
