Looking to Easter

I have just re-read “The Easter Stories” by Trevor Dennis, a great preparation for celebrating Easter in a few days time. I find Trevor Dennis’ style of writing, with its emphasis on story, very engaging and extremely helpful in reflecting on Scripture. I like the way in which he interacts different passages and stories, letting them speak to each other and illustrate each other, and that is a device that is prominent and helpful in this particular book. “The feeding of the five thousand is not a ticket-only affair, nor like the Last Supper is it behind closed doors. The men, women and children who are there do not have to prove themselves worthy to receive. The meal happens out in the open, with no boundaries, no walls, no fences, no doors. All the people have to do is turn up, and stretch out their hands to receive. Then the kingdom of God can come, and they can have their daily bread and God's name can be hallowed.” I also liked the way in which he draws the reader to look at the events being retold through the eyes of particular participants in the story. “So the women in Mark do not encounter the resurrection. Resurrection, of course, is not what they have come for. They have come for the marking of death. They have come for the wrong reasons, for when they reach the tomb they find that death has been undone. In any case they need not have bought their expensive spices for, so Mark has told us, an unnamed woman in the Bethany house of a leper called Simon, has already broken a ‘jar of very costly perfume, genuine nard’ and poured it all over his head, and Jesus has declared that she has anointed his body for burial (14.3-9).” All in all, these stories and reflections provide a great commentary on the events of Easter. “So when Matthew speaks of earthquake, the dead bursting from their tombs, an angel descending to a tomb and rolling away the entrance stone with his little finger (I cannot stop myself adding a little more drama still), he is trying to understand the momentous character of the events. They are truly of cosmic significance, and just as Jesus' birth in Matthew's Gospel is marked by the movement of a star, so Jesus' death and resurrection are accompanied by a movement of the earth.”

Walking The Camino

I have just finished reading ‘Camino Sunrise’ by Reginald Spittle, sub-titled ‘Walking With My Shadows: One reluctant pilgrim packs a weighty load on a 500-mile path’. In the book Reg tells the story of how he, together with his wife Sue, having recently retired, made the trip from the USA to Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago. Though I have never walked any of it, I invariably enjoy books about the ‘Camino’ – and this was no exception. Unlike several books that I have read, this camino pilgrim does not enter the story (and the challenge) from a faith perspective, though it is interesting to see how faith makes its mark. In the end, when asked his reasons for walking, Reg says that it was partly personal, but also partly spiritual. There is no doubt that the experience had a big impact – and that comes through clearly as he reflects on his experiences on the camino and, in particular, Sue and he met and the friends they made. As he writes: “ The Camino wasn’t about getting to Santiago. It wasn’t about the miles we travelled. The journey was about people and the adventures we shared. It was about testing our limits, separately and together.” And there were a few good quotes. For example: “One revelation from this journey had become clear, and it sounded so simple: Nurture friendships with commitment and trust.” “The Camino confirmed another life lesson: “Take time.”” “What else was I taking home? I ticked off a list of lessons. Privacy is overrated. Never assume. Trust people. I am not a sissy. Take time. Never give up. Stay flexible. Pack light. Be patient. Use poles properly (thank you, Gitta). An important one: Don’t take myself so seriously. Have faith in the Camino’s magic. Another came to me: Cultivate friendships.” “There was really just one lesson. Acceptance. I must accept who I am and what I have done. I must live with the actions of others. My fellow pilgrims and I practiced acceptance daily. We persevered through struggles. We appreciated each other and celebrated common bonds as well as differences. We accepted the past, lived in the moment and moved forward.” All in all, a good read.