Friday 14 April 2017

The Good Friday sermon

Apologies for a rant, but lets get a few things straight.  Easter has sweet f all to do with chocolate eggs. It commemorates a bloke who was nailed to a cross and died because he had the audacity to challenge the powerful elite who controlled all of the wealth and power. His message was pretty simple, don't be greedy, look after those less well off, don't judge others, turn the other cheek to violence, forgive people if they hurt you and try and make the world a better place.

He wasn't a po faced party pooper, at a party, he turned water into wine, 40 gallons of it, when they had run out. Perhaps the less familar bit of that particular story is the bit where they all had to "rest" for a few days after. As to his social life used to eat and drink with the tax collectors and prostitutes, in the less solubious parts of town. And he wasn't always meek and mild. He chased the money changers out of the temple, which clearly pissed off a few rich and powerful people. I suspect the fact that he got away with this (one assumes money changers would have a team of heavies to guard the dosh), was because it was popular with the ordinary people and the thugs and spivs knew they were on to a loser if they argued.

Whether or not you believe he rose from the dead, was God or even existed is pretty irrelevant to me. What matters is that 2,000 years later, we still have the same problems, greedy elites who care nothing for the poor and disenfranchised. We still have people, sadly often religious, who are judgemental and lead persecutions. The solutions are still ultimately the same and that bloke who was nailed to the cross was pretty spot on with most of the answers. It is just a shame, we've had 2,000 years of dickheads, who act in his name, but totally ignore the spirit of what he told us.
rant over, have a lovely Easter and enjoy them eggs. One little request, if it isn't too much trouble. why not spread the joy around a little bit. If you know someone is alone, or needs a bit of friendship, if they are old, infirm or ill, why not nip in and have a cup of tea with them, share an Easter Egg or a hot cross bun. Even if it is only ten minutes. The true spirit of Easter and Good Friday is one of community and caring for each other.

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