THE PRESS SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 1984. Behind the rolling stone

Press, 21 April 1984, Page 18

THE PRESS SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 1984. Behind the rolling stone

About 1950 years ago a stone is said to have been rolled away from the entrance to a tomb near Jerusalem, and the tomb was found to be empty. If the event recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke is correct, it demonstrates one of the fundamental beliefs of the Christian faith — that Jesus of Nazareth was executed by the Romans, on evidence supplied by the Jews, but that he was resurrected by God as a demonstration that all human beings could hope for a life after death, if they chose to follow the beliefs that Jesus had proclaimed.

The crucifixion and resurrection of Christ is the most important event in Christian history and Christian belief. Without it, “Christianity” becomes nonsense and Jesus of Nazareth is reduced to no more than an itinerant prophet who fell foul of the Establishment. The modern community — ready enough to declare itself as Christian when the prospect of Easter holidays is offered — is reluctant to accept the implications of the Easter events. If Easter has any point, the condition of one’s soul — the sincerity of one’s belief in God and acceptance of Christ as an advocate in a divine court of judgment — is the most important element in personal behaviour and belief. The message of Christ was intended to be universal. If there is a vigour left in Christianity, it often appears now to lie in the search for recruits by sects that are intense and cliqueish, that apply goodness as they see it, and often rely heavily on anxieties and pressures of society to consolidate their faith. Many of Christianity’s advocates have become narrow in their approach. God may move in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform, but some of his most dedicated enthusiasts too often insist on intensely individual approaches to the message of the empty tomb, and to the

promise of redemption for fallible human beings. Others maintain that Easter is irrelevant to Christianity; works in this world are all that matter. Such people may find in Jesus an inspiration to lead worthy lives, but without accepting the promise of redemption they cannot claim to be Christians. Easter means several days of holiday. For many people, the justification of the holiday has become so remote that community leaders have had to plead for more secular entertainments to help unbelievers through a long week-end. Yet the holiday can be justified only by the desire of Christians to mark the anniversary of the most important event in their calendar. This year, Easter is followed almost immediately by Anzac Day. That holiday is justified by being an occasion to reflect upon the sacrifices of New Zealanders who fought and died in two World Wars for freedoms that seemed to them worth while. Otherwise it has no justification, either.

Patriotism has become almost as unfashionable as a belief in the divinity of Christ. The holidays of Easter and Anzac are accepted readily enough. The community would be a happier place if the justifications, and the decencies, that lay behind the original intentions of these days without work were still acknowledged. Patriotism and the salvation of one’s soul are not unworthy objects. Perhaps they shine even brighter in a world that seems often to be devoted to the gratification of the senses and to the satisfaction of selfish desires, rather than concerned for the well-being of others. Neither the first Christians, nor the New Zealanders who fought at Gallipoli, would be very impressed by the pursuits of many in the community on the days assigned to observe the origins of both the ideas and ideals.