A Single Fingure Rises.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 35, Issue 3, 1 May 1944, Page 3

A Single Fingure Rises.

(Easter editorial m the New Zealand Herald)

The event which the Church, m pageantry or m simplicity, will celebrate is the living heart of the Christian faith. "To be a Christian," wrote the Archbishop recently, "is to share m a new movement of life, and to co-operate with new regenerating forces -Which have entered into history." No Word could be more true if the New Testament is to be the text-book. The Church universal insists {that it has no mere system of morals to, offer, no frigid code to set beside the competing philosophies of men. it has what Saint Paul, pouring new meaning into a world from his pagan world, would call a "mystery," s a spiritual secret whereby defeat can be transformed into victory and all crucifixion into triumph. It has a faith and a dynamic. It bases both on a revelation and a happening. "Under Pontius Pilate," as the Creed puts it, locating God m time,' One ."suffered arid was buried." In a Jerusalem garden, "on the third day He rose again!" . m a thousand tongues and m "regions Caesar never knew," those words were uttered. From .Celsus to Renan and beyond, those who have thought it profitable to rescue men from such conviction have ridiculed or patiently explained away what came to pass m the twilight of that Easter morning:' A multitude of eloquent : denials has sought to sweep away, a story repeated four tim-gs over m a dozen ' pages of simple Greek--and on Easter Sunday, 1944. From Moscow to Peru, with all the gold of vestments or m the simple aspiration of faith the Church celebrates the Resurrection. Course of History Change No Christian partisanship is" needed to admit that the course of history was changed m Joseph of Arimathea's garden. There i|t was that a band of men and women cast" off despair, became persuaded that life was worth living and death "a triviality. On the wings of that- faith they and those who caught its flame braved wave and mountain, the

wrath of tyrants and the violence of men. Their generations span the centuries. Their message^ renewed with the years, has taught men how to live and die itf all lands and ages. Its inspiration built cathedrals m an era of poverty and darkness, and. m another world taught negro slaves to sing. It formed the heart of Saint Francis and Florence Nightingale. Its roll is beyond all counting. The. Church can p»int its critics to history. There is no record to compare with it. Arnold Toynbee, most diligent Of modern historians, closes the sixth- volume of his monumental survey of the rise and fall of nations with a discussion of "saviours," those who by philosophy or the sword, as men or reputed "gods," have sought to save their fellows. They have failed one and all. "Or have they?" asks the historian. "In the last stage of all our motley host has dwindled to a company of none but gods. At the final ordeal of death, few, even of these . saviourgods, haVe dared to. put their title.; to the test by plunging into the icy . rivej-. And now as we stand and gaze with our eyes fixed on> the - further shore a single figure rises and straightway fills the whole horizon. There is the Saviour, 'and • the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper m His hand and He shall see - of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied.' " Drama Not Played Out The drama is not played out. The . Christian faith -is not dead and buried. , It is ironical to consider that only once m the world's history could its enemies have stated with . complete conviction . that the tomb had sealed its fate and that was on the morrow of the Crucifixion, when the Quislings of Jerusalem m the name of collaboration had thrust a dangerous prophet to ' death. But let it be remembered on the morrow by all who own that Name that the Christian religion involves far more than acquiescence m historical facts. Those who walked with Christ found the meaning of all life

m His sacrifice and triumph. Contemplating His CrOss and those who .murdered Him they knew that for them life held no compromise with the- sham and wickedness which had done such Manhoood to death. Peer-' ing into the emptiness /of His Tomb they knew that for evermore Death could hold no terrors over them and the Grave could win no victory. With hearts aflame they turned to face the world prepared to give and receive no return; to sacrifice and And no understanding, to speak and not be silenced, to endure all things if thus they might outlive and - outdie the evil of men, Such victorious living has never yet failed to convict and to convince the world. There is no better apologetic. Easter can give a distracted world no better gift.