Magazine letter for September 2022
This Sunday (as I write) I have the enormous privilege of baptising my eighth grandchild, Norah. We inevitably ask ourselves what world she has she been born into, and what faith will she be taught to help her to cope with such a world.
It’s very physical this Christianity thing. Sometimes I like to pretend it’s all rather esoteric, and spiritual. But then I realise that Christianity is all about incarnation, about God alongside us… in this world and with this world – a part of this world. Christianity is not about ethics, it’s not about being good boys and girls, keeping to the rules, avoid doing bad things and you’ll be a good person, and God will think you’re just great. Jesus did not die on a cross to tell us that.
So what did he tell us and show us? That God is a part of this world, our world, and he wants us to be a part of him, that in order for us to relate to him we must be a part of him. But he won’t hijack us, kidnap us, drag us into relationship with him. You cannot force somebody into relationship with you, you can only open the door, hold out a hand, even open wide your arms, and long for somebody to come into them.
Jesus used the analogy of eating his flesh and drinking his blood for this becoming a part of, accepting him within us, in order to be within him. It is a disturbing and extraordinary analogy, it put people off – after he said this we are told that followers left Jesus. And who can blame them? But he said it to make a point. It’s not enough to say to God “I’ll keep the rules, I’ll try to be good, I won’t hurt anybody”. That maybe moral behaviour but it’s not faith and it’s not a relationship, a drawing together. What Jesus wanted was something quite different. He wanted us to get to know him, he wants us consciously to open our hearts and let him in.
And that is what we’re saying every time we come to the communion rail and hold wide our hands and open our lips to receive him. We are each saying to God “be a part of me so I can be a part of you.” “Live in me so that I can live in you.” That’s why we have a communion service every week, because the conscious renewal of this desire to take God into ourselves is what gives our faith life and purpose and meaning. And prevents us from ever thinking that God just wants us to stick to the rules.
Norah’s godparents and parents will undertake to encourage her “to be faithful in public worship and private prayer“. That’s a formal way of saying that they will do all that they can to help her to find the open arms of God, and to become a part of God, by letting God become a part of her.
William