On the President’s Easter Message – What is the truth of Easter?

The worst ideas about Christian faith have always been tantalizingly close to revealed Christian truth – that is recognized by all Christians, everywhere, always – and differ in subtle ways, leaving a plausible but false picture.

It started happening early in the history of the Christian church. In the third century AD Sabellius got the idea that God was indivisible, with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being three manifestations of the same divine Person. The problem with this reduction of the Trinitarian mystery to a multi-manifestation is that it made God changeable and therefore made unreliable His promise of salvation to those who believe in Jesus. It’s a subtle error, but one which confounds the truth of Christianity. In response Church Father Tertullian said, “Jesus commands them to baptize into the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – not into a unipersonal God.” (Tertullian, C. 213,W,3.623)

President Gregor Henderson’s Easter Message, published on the Queensland Synod’s “Journey” newspaper website, is very subtle. His message is addressed to all persons in Australia of any or no religion and it is that Jesus Christ continues to make more impact for good on people in the world today than any other single human being. And he concludes

Whether you are of the Christian faith, another faith, or a person of no religious faith at all, I encourage you to at least enjoy the Easter holiday season and to give thanks for Jesus; a man who promoted peace and advocated for justice for all humans; and the man whom Christians worship as Son of God and Saviour of the world.

In between the President gives three examples of how Christians, Jews, Hindus and Muslims are trying to work out together how faith leaders may contribute to peace.

What’s wrong with that?

The problem is revealed in the logic of last sentence with its two semi-colons so that each subsequent clause is a refinement of the preceding. Non-Christians can reject the refinements if it doesn’t suit them. So, the President is suggesting that we know that Muslims do not accept Jesus as Son of God and Saviour, but that doesn’t matter, because they can still accept that Christians are promoting peace, and they can at least enjoy the Easter holiday season because it’s one of Jesus’ impacts for good that he started doing 2000 years ago.

There is no evidence that this sop is actually received as a compromise for peace. On contrary, in the very same issue of Journey March 2008 is a report of the visit of the Rev. Dr. Michael Nazir-Ali, Anglican Bishop of Rochester in England, Pakistan born and well experienced in the manner in which Islam treats Christians in Islam dominated Pakistan. Dr. Nazir-Ali even received death threats in England for suggesting that Muslims were provocative for amplifying prayer calls over English towns.

Another problem is that, in a post-Christian age, there is dismay about Easter. People who still believe in God risen as Jesus have become a laughing stock. For example, one columnist Catherine Deveny wrote in The Age under the headline, “Easter? Oh Wake Me When it’s Over”, “I don’t want to offend anyone (actually I do), but let’s be honest here, Easter’s never really taken off…” (March 21, 2008)

In other words, the President’s logic doesn’t work with non-Christians.

However, the cleverness of the President’s rhetoric is that for Christians, it is intended to work compellingly in reverse: you worship Jesus as Son of God, Saviour so you should promote peace and advocate justice for all humans so you should give thanks for Jesus for the Easter holiday.

The Christian confession of Easter has never been quite thus. The Easter message is that the world does not accept Jesus. It will kill him. The wonderful thing is Jesus rose from the dead. Death has been overcome. This is our confession to a sceptical, disbelieving world embroiled within spiralling conflicts of death. Jesus gives his peace to those who ask. Without Jesus, there is no peace. Tertullian knew that: he witnessed many who were martyred for confessing this truth.

At bottom, Henderson’s message assumes that Jesus is merely the best religious one of all and that he is the founder of the best religion for bending over backwards to make peace deals (secretly by “leaders’ who give scant information to the “followers”) with those of different convictions. Christian Creeds and Confessions, starting with the Apostle Paul, then Apostles’ Creed, and every other confession that is named in the Basis of Union, confess Jesus as Lord rather than a respectable and inspiring example whom we can take or leave’. 

What a pity our President’s message was enamoured with the survival instincts of people who live in the cross fire of religious conflict rather than making a robust witness to Jesus Christ who alone can bring peace to the world because he died for our sins and rose again for our justification. By Paul Langkamp (South Korea).

 
Easter Message from Rev Gregor Henderson, President, Uniting Church in Australia

Despite walking this earth 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ continues to make more impact for good on people in the world today than any other single human being.

We hear much these days about the tension, competition and conflict between people of different faiths. This Easter it is worth noting that the stresses that can occur are generated by a very few people. The far more common story, not often told, is the good relationships that are being nurtured, together with a commitment to maintaining peace and harmony, by the vast majority of people of faith.

In the Indian city of Machilipatnam, thousands of Hindus and Muslims come to the city cathedral every Christmas Eve to pray, in respect for the Christian faith and in commitment to community togetherness. Further, each visitor drops a few rupees into the cathedral’s offering boxes and, on that one day, they contribute more than 10% of the cathedral’s annual budget.

In Jerusalem last year, a new Council for Religious Institutions was established. Membership includes the Jewish chief rabbis; the Christian heads of churches; and the Muslim supreme judge and mufti. They are particularly working on the very sensitive issue of the long-term future status of Jerusalem.

In Australia the leaders of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths are planning a joint visit to Israel and Palestine in 2009, in order to see the conflict there from all sides and to work out together how faith leaders may contribute to peace in the region.

None of these things would be happening were it not for the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to live out and teach God’s love for the whole world, not just for his particular followers. That is why, in respect for Jesus, people of many faiths observe Easter.

Whether you are of the Christian faith, another faith, or a person of no religious faith at all, I encourage you to at least enjoy the Easter holiday season and to give thanks for Jesus; a man who promoted peace and advocated for justice for all humans; and the man whom Christians worship as Son of God and Saviour of the world.
Rev Gregor Henderson
President