Dear one,
As so often happens in our lives, we plan, we anticipate, and then the moment long planned and anticipated passes quickly. Such is true regarding my present visit to Giurgiu: I arrived 1pm Thursday; spent eight meaningful hours with the leadership of a small vibrant church on Friday and Saturday; spoke at their Sunday morning worship and then at an outreach evening for their neighbors, and now it’s time to repack.
In my experience, the eight hours of study and interactive dialogue were truly unique: we were a group of twenty-two ranging in age from late-adolescence to late-seventies, and yet we shared an eagerness to learn from and with one another. Like an effervescent spring, our thoughts, feelings, laughter, and insights flooded the room. Although we had moments of intensity (my contribution), we nonetheless remained fully engaged. As younger a woman commented, “How many times have I read of Jesus’ trial, and yet, it was as though I was reading it for the first time?”
Ours was truly a multigenerational experience, as our hearts and minds sought to imagine an evening in Gethsemane, which became a prelude to a rapid sequence of events, thus altering the course of human history. From my perspective, it is difficult, if not impossible, to comprehend Western culture and its impact upon our world apart from a garden, a kiss of death, a botched trial, and a manipulated crowd all leading to Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.
Elsewhere: In my last blog to you, I recounted a brief conversation I had regarding Romanian Easter: during the communist era, even though the government sought to quash any Easter observances, still mothers and grandmothers encouraged the coloring of eggs, the buying and wearing of new clothes, the baking of special breads and cookies, and the repeated refrain: “He is risen indeed!” Although they tried, governmental authority could not suppress the power of tradition. Admittedly, the underlying significance of that tradition might have been lost, and yet, like a parable, the tradition still invited questions: Why do we color eggs? Why do we wear new clothes? Why do we eat special bread—does anyone know?
Yesterday, as I spoke from the pulpit, I was more keenly aware of the interconnection between Scripture, experience, and tradition. That is, like a three-legged stool, if we remove one or another of these from our faith, then that faith is greatly weakened or “functionally impaired.” This triangulation I must ponder more deeply.
Thank you for sharing in this venture with me,
Stan