Sunday Reflection with Fr Robin Gibbons - 24th April 2016

5th Sunday after Easter 24th April 2016

I read on one of those church blogs a recent comment about those of us priests trained in the 70's who had deviated from the faith because we had adopted worldly positions. It was unclear just what these worldly positions were, but the inference was obvious (the blogger was a younger priest), we (because I was trained then and ordained in 1979 we are yesterday's message). I don't normally spend much time looking at this stuff, its simply opinion, but it's amazing just how many people think they have a divine right on their side and very little loving humility!

I doubt any version of Christianity that places rules above love of people is the correct route to follow. In the book of Revelation we are faced with the deep belief and the tremendous vision that in Christ things have been made new! In Him the old order has passed away and it is a time of continual remaking, yesterdays message goes on being revitalized!

That has always been the journey of discipleship, faith newly planted, newly growing in every age. There is something breathtaking in those words, 'God's dwelling is with the human race!' it suggests a dynamic relationship between our God and ourselves, for in this vision God is always living with us, hidden in those many encounters we all have every day. In the end all tears will be wiped away, that understanding gives me strength even in these dark days when the world seems to be troubled by so many disturbing events!

Paul and Barnabas take us back to the early growth of the Church, there is something about them that calls to us today, perhaps it is the simplicity of structure and direct message of faith that attracts people, of returning to the basics of faith. Both of them remind us that we will have to suffer and endure hardship before we enter the Kingdom of God. In their travels we see the setting up of local communities, the direct ancestors in faith of ourselves today, but we can also note that their first task on returning to Antioch is not to meet with the management committee or church leaders, but to call the whole community together and discern with them what has happened. That is something for us all to reflect on, the Church is all of us!

Underpinning all this is the new commandment, which is something essential to our faith, a non-negotiable element. We are to love each other as Christ HAS done, in other words discipleship and faith are rooted in the outpouring of love for others without limit!

Fr Robin is an Eastern Rite Chaplain for Melkite Greek Catholics in Britain. He is also an Honorary Canon of Christchurch Cathedral Oxford.