Monthly Message

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