A Christian Gospel for Holy Week, Brexit and Climate Change

At the peak of our industrial and technological progress, enjoying comforts that previous generations could only dream about yet surrounded by poverty and homelessness, confused and frustrated by the politics of Brexit and Trump, marvelling at the millions pledged to rebuild Notre Dame yet wondering why no-one pledged enough to rehouse the victims of Grenfell Tower, we pause to ponder what the gospel of Holy Week has to offer to our current context.

I am indebted to Revd Gethin Rhys, National Policy Officer for CYTÛN (Churches Together in Wales) for his reflection on Luke 23.1-49 which follows (URC Daily Reflection Good Friday):

The Roman Empire was one of the cruellest and most violent in human history. Its power covered most of the known world. The head of a small subservient nation could have his soldiers mock and scorn an accused over whom he had no jurisdiction.   An Imperial Governor could find someone innocent and then have him flogged anyway in order to satisfy the crowd. He could then reverse the verdict in order to keep the ‘peace’. The imperial guard could force a passing black man to carry the instruments of death in order to save them the trouble. Yet with the benefit of hindsight, we now know that at the very height of its absolute power the seeds of destruction of this empire were being sown. Its hubris was unsustainable. It had grown too big to effectively defend its borders. The decline and fall of the Roman Empire had begun.

Our capitalist empire is one of the cruellest and most violent in human history. Its power covers the whole world - the very last tribes to escape its clutches have been conquered. Small subservient nations elect dictators to shoot the drug-runners and street children on sight. Large imperial powers can send bombers to bomb whomsoever they wish with no retribution, and, with drones, they need not even risk their own armed forces. Innocent people can be gaoled or executed to keep the ‘peace’. Black, brown and indigenous peoples continue to carry the white man’s burden. Yet with the benefit of science and a little foresight, we know that at the very height of its absolute power the seeds of destruction of this empire are being sown. Our fossil fuel guzzling way of life is unsustainable. We cannot effectively defend our borders against the billions of dispossessed. The decline and fall of capitalist industrial ‘civilization’ has begun.

It was to an empire such as this that Jesus came. It was at the hands of an empire such as this that Jesus died. Astonishingly, it was within an empire such as this that Jesus would rise again.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, your Kingdom is so different from our empire
that even you could not find the words to explain the difference.
Your life of sacrifice and service is so different from our life of luxury and self-indulgence
that only in your death could you point the way to true life.
Strengthen us neither to accept the cruelties of empire around us
nor to despair at their apparent invincibility,
but rather to take up our cross and follow you to the end.
Amen.