C-19 Reflection #11: Holy Week / Holy Monday - Imagine

C 19 Reflections – Holy Week / Holy Monday (#11)

Theme: “Imagine”

Scripture Readings: Luke 9:51-56; Luke 18:31-34

Reflection:

 During Holy Week, the Christian church slows down in order to focus on the details of the final days of Jesus’ life, one day at a time. Even the Queen, during her Palm Sunday address, was encouraging us to receive the slower pace of these unusual days for the sake of prayer and meditation. It really did seem like she knew what she was doing as she spoke at the beginning of Holy Week.

If we thought that Holy Week perception was a challenge before, and it always is quite demanding, we certainly have been handed a double portion this year when it comes to trying to grasp the ways of God in the world. If we never quite appreciated it before this year, we know now beyond a shadow of a doubt that Holy Week is a necessity for Christian understanding.

Today’s reflection is primarily made up of three quotes which all, in their own way, touch on the importance of expanding our imagination in Holy Week reflection. Each suggests a bit of a different angle as they encourage us to really open our minds and our eyes to what is going on.

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 Surprise

“Whereas Advent can be generally described as an ascent to light, Holy Week, by contrast, moves us in the opposite direction – in a descent into darkness. Even though we, by faith, and hindsight, might see past the darkness of Good Friday to the bright dawn of Easter morn, we are invited to enter imaginatively into this time, suspending our foreknowledge of the Resurrection so that we, like Mary at the foot of the cross, may stand in solidarity with all those who know of no such hope, and for reasons that may surprise us.” ~ Steve Bell, singer- song writer

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Love

“In Luke 9:51–56 we learn "When the days drew near for him to be received up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem." To set his face towards Jerusalem meant something very different for Jesus than it did for the disciples.

He predicted in Luke 18:31f., "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written of the Son of man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon; they will scourge him and kill him." …………. When Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem, he set his face to die …………. O how we need to use our imagination to put ourselves back into his place and feel what he felt. I don't know of any other way for us to begin to know how much he loved us. "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).” ~ John Piper, pastor -theologian

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 Incredulity

 “I think God decided to unplug the world, count to 30, and plug it back in just to see if that fixes the mess that humans have made.” ~ J. DeCosta, cultural creative – marketing expert