Friday, April 06, 2007

Good Friday: The Suffering of God

Here is a profound reflection. It may seem short and concise, but there is much room for further reflection. I think that this bishop here very insightfully explains a fundamental difference between Islam and Christianity, and I love how he relates it to the Eucharist:

Like many Bishops I’m frequently asked to speak out against blasphemy and condemn outrageous portrayals of Jesus in the media. More often than not the point’s made that programme-makers would never dare do this to the prophet Mohammed, so why should they do it to Christ. Some go on to say that the fact that shows like Jerry Springer the Opera are staged and televised is because Christianity has lost its power and is no longer a force to be reckoned with in our society.

Part of my reply is that I’ve no desire to give free publicity, but there is a deeper reason which I’ve discussed with my Muslim friends. In Islam the mocking of God is an intolerable offence. That’s why crowds fill the streets to demonstrate against every humiliation of their faith. Indeed, one of the reasons that Muslims cannot accept the divinity of Jesus is that they cannot believe that God would have allowed his Son to suffer.

But for Christians the abusing of God goes to the heart of our belief. Christ crucified is where our faith begins. When people despise and reject him they’re only doing what they did in the beginning. One of the reasons most Christians don’t take to the streets is not because we no longer care, but because the humiliation of God is what we embrace every time we take communion. This is the token of a body broken, of blood spilt and of the mocking of God. What sustains us - is that even though people should despise him and drive nails through his hands ‘he loves us to the end’.

From the BBC, Bp. James Jones of Liverpool

3 comments:

E. Twist said...

Bp. Jones is the Chair of Wycliffe Hall's Board of Trustees. Not a bad quote coming from a CofE evangelical.

Abu Daoud said...

Very nice. This is the kind of evangelical I really like! I think that evangelicalism and a focus on the Word proclaimed must need to a high opinion and regular practice of the Eucharist. Why? Because the Eucharist is the word proclaimed in our bodies.

The full Word needs to be proclaimed: in the prophecy of the prophet of the sermon of evangelist, and in the bread and wine being consumed by our bodies.

"How shall he give us his flesh to chew?"

Blessings on this Holy Saturday

Ayah of the Day said...

Hello Bishop

Islam does not accept jesus as gods son because god the almighty is the one who created the earth and the heavens does not need you to pray and slave to him he can create another you just as he created you. The reason jesus is not gods son is becuase why would god create a son of his to get you to slave to him? Jesus is just like adam except adam was created from no mother or father , so why would jesus be gods son when adam was created from nothing...Jesus is prayers be upon him was just a prophet who god gave him the holy spirit. Not Gods son