Dear Friends,
If, like me, you know and admire the film 'The Shawshank Redemption', you will recall
that it is the story of how Andy survives, escapes from, and rises above the brutality and
injustice of his incarceration in Shawshank prison for some twenty years. His own
redemption comes through increased understanding, but this rubs off on those around,
and especially on his friend Red. Shortly before his escape, Andy suggests to Red that
you have to: "Get busy living, or get busy dying".
Released a while later, Red has to work this out for himself. Struggling to live on the
outside after 40 years in jail, Red considers breaking his parole in order to return to the
familiarity of institutionalised prison life. However, with the help of Andy, Red too
decides to get busy living, rather than to stay busy dying.
Sometimes we can sentimentalise the notion of friendship and the idea of Christ being
our friend; after all, in calling the disciples his "friends", Jesus expected a toughness
from them; could they stay with him to the end? Yet, in the end, Christ redeemed his
disciples, and, with compassion for them, invited them again to follow him. In Christ we
recognise the one who has gone before to break the bonds of death and to liberate us
from all that deadens and imprisons. And, as the celebration of Easter slips into our
recollection of Jesus' parting from his friends at Ascensiontide, so we recall also the gift
of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The Spirit seeks to empower us with God's liberating,
life-giving love, to help and encourage us with all the struggles and choices of life. Thus
Jesus invites us, his friends, to follow, and to get busy living, rather than dying.
For us (and for our churches) there are so many possible layers of meaning involved in
that phrase: "Get busy living, or get busy dying". May God be with you as, daily, you
reflect and make your choices. God Bless,
James
This information was last updated 24 April for May 2008