• By Jerry Devine, Detroit Conference Director of Connectional Ministries •
It has been an historic week for many.
On Friday, April 29th, at 4:30 a.m. I was awakened. No, it was not a divine epiphany, though it was a DeVine invitation. Again, Sunday, May 1st, at around 11:30 p.m. I was once again beckoned, another DeVine invitation.
In both instances it was my wife that invited, perhaps encouraged and implored me to pay attention to two totally unrelated events with global and individual significance.
Early Friday [Eastern Daylight Time] the wedding of two young adults took place that captured global attention, and then late Sunday night the announcement of the death of the key figure of al-Qaeda had the world listening.
One event the sign of life that bridges past a prior tragic death and offers a hope for the future.
The other story a death following many deaths, and yet many hope will now mark a shift toward life. We pray for all involved in either story, for both events will impact more than just those immediately involved.
Both of these events have caused me to wrestle with what might the Church learn from them.
To be clear, I am not a “royals watcher”. I have historically had little appreciation for any form of authority that cannot be challenged or replaced when found necessary. Following the tragic death of the late Princess Diana, I even thought that the British public might determine they have moved beyond that system of former governance and current obligation. The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton showed otherwise.
However, I was particularly impressed by how this young adult woman, out of her love, made a conscious choice that would require a role in leadership for the rest of her life. More than ever before I saw that while there is great wealth and prestige to be gained, for her there will also be significant sacrifice and service.
She became someone new yet still the same. Sounds theological and biblical.
The media assisted us in making the constant connections to the late princess Diana, mother of Prince William. My hat is off, if I wore one, to both Prince William, and the now Princess Katherine, for thoughtfully moving into the future while being aware of and appreciating the past. Out of an untimely and tragic death comes a promising future hope. They made a conscious choice to choose life coming out of the previous death. Who knows, they may even transform the approachability of the monarchy. Sounds like an Easter message to me.
The other event of these past few days is equally complex, and not as easily considered.
For some of those who lost family members and friends during the several terrorist plots guided by Osama bin Laden there is a sense of justice and closure now that he has been killed. It took a death to try to bring about release for new life. Yet, as most officials reminded us, this will not end violence. Justice and equity for all and relationships with all will ultimately bring that about.
This event can be the invitation to a different way of transforming communities and nations. This too is an Easter message, though much harder to swallow or appreciate than a beautiful wedding. Jesus gave himself up for us all, and didn’t need a fenced-in compound to save himself.
We call ourselves an Easter people, a people shaped by the sacrificial service of God through Jesus Christ. We are an Easter people shaped by the choice to go from life through death to choosing new life.
As in the life of Jesus Christ and the early apostolic disciple community, this choosing new life is not only a spiritual issue. It has current temporal implications. It shapes how one is to see and address the needs of the wider community. It shapes how resources are sacrificed so that new life may come forth. It calls forth self-giving service more than self-preserving isolation.
I invite you to respond with what you may have learned as a disciple leader from either of these two current events. Keep them in prayer please.
It has been an historic week for many.
On Friday, April 29th, at 4:30 a.m. I was awakened. No, it was not a divine epiphany, though it was a DeVine invitation. Again, Sunday, May 1st, at around 11:30 p.m. I was once again beckoned, another DeVine invitation.
In both instances it was my wife that invited, perhaps encouraged and implored me to pay attention to two totally unrelated events with global and individual significance.Early Friday [Eastern Daylight Time] the wedding of two young adults took place that captured global attention, and then late Sunday night the announcement of the death of the key figure of al-Qaeda had the world listening.
One event the sign of life that bridges past a prior tragic death and offers a hope for the future.
The other story a death following many deaths, and yet many hope will now mark a shift toward life. We pray for all involved in either story, for both events will impact more than just those immediately involved.
Both of these events have caused me to wrestle with what might the Church learn from them.
To be clear, I am not a “royals watcher”. I have historically had little appreciation for any form of authority that cannot be challenged or replaced when found necessary. Following the tragic death of the late Princess Diana, I even thought that the British public might determine they have moved beyond that system of former governance and current obligation. The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton showed otherwise.
However, I was particularly impressed by how this young adult woman, out of her love, made a conscious choice that would require a role in leadership for the rest of her life. More than ever before I saw that while there is great wealth and prestige to be gained, for her there will also be significant sacrifice and service.
She became someone new yet still the same. Sounds theological and biblical.
The media assisted us in making the constant connections to the late princess Diana, mother of Prince William. My hat is off, if I wore one, to both Prince William, and the now Princess Katherine, for thoughtfully moving into the future while being aware of and appreciating the past. Out of an untimely and tragic death comes a promising future hope. They made a conscious choice to choose life coming out of the previous death. Who knows, they may even transform the approachability of the monarchy. Sounds like an Easter message to me.
The other event of these past few days is equally complex, and not as easily considered.
For some of those who lost family members and friends during the several terrorist plots guided by Osama bin Laden there is a sense of justice and closure now that he has been killed. It took a death to try to bring about release for new life. Yet, as most officials reminded us, this will not end violence. Justice and equity for all and relationships with all will ultimately bring that about.
This event can be the invitation to a different way of transforming communities and nations. This too is an Easter message, though much harder to swallow or appreciate than a beautiful wedding. Jesus gave himself up for us all, and didn’t need a fenced-in compound to save himself.
We call ourselves an Easter people, a people shaped by the sacrificial service of God through Jesus Christ. We are an Easter people shaped by the choice to go from life through death to choosing new life.
As in the life of Jesus Christ and the early apostolic disciple community, this choosing new life is not only a spiritual issue. It has current temporal implications. It shapes how one is to see and address the needs of the wider community. It shapes how resources are sacrificed so that new life may come forth. It calls forth self-giving service more than self-preserving isolation.
I invite you to respond with what you may have learned as a disciple leader from either of these two current events. Keep them in prayer please.
