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Reflection for May 14 2006

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Everybody has heard of James Bond whose exploits as a British secret agent have been played by I don't know how many actors. I can remember Sean Connery and Roger Moore in the role but the other names escape me. Which makes me think of other dramatic roles that have been filled by different actors from one generation to another - like the role of Hamlet. I would guess that any young man aspiring to be a serious actor dreams of the day when he can take on the challenge of being Hamlet and giving his own unique rendition of "To be or not to be."

Which brings me around to the New Testament book called the Acts of the Apostles from which practically all of our Lectionary first readings are selected during this season of the year. The book begins with Jesus departing this earth and leaving behind a vacuum, a collection of clueless disciples until the Holy Spirit comes down upon them at Pentecost. And then strange things begin to happen. Jesus though absent begins to appear all over again in Jerusalem and elsewhere. It's as though, like some cut out figure, his outline remains upon the pages of history to be filled in by someone else equipped to play his role. For instance:

- In the Gospels Jesus cures a crippled man by the pool of Bethesda saying, "Get up and walk"; in Acts Peter does the same thing by the Temple gate called "Beautiful", saying, "Get up and walk."
- In the Gospels Jesus raises Jairus' daughter to life saying, "Talitha koum; little girl arise"; in Acts Peter raises a woman to life addressing her by name and saying, "Tabitha, rise up."
- In the Gospels Jesus comes alongside two forlorn fellows on the road to Emmaus and relieves their confusion by explaining the Scriptures to them; in Acts the deacon Philip comes alongside an Ethiopian riding in a chariot and trying to figure out the meaning of the prophet Isaiah and Philip relieves his confusion and baptizes him.
- In the Gospels a woman is healed by merely touching the hem of Jesus' garment; in Acts people are healed by falling within the shadow of Peter's passing by.
- In the Gospels Jesus is brought before Annas and Caiaphas and stands tall, even though struck by his guards; in Acts Peter is brought before Annas and Caiaphas and stands tall and later Paul is brought before the high priest and is struck on the mouth and Paul being Paul shouts back: "May God strike you, you white washed wall!"
- In the Gospels Jesus on the cross says, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do"; in Acts the martyr Stephen before expiring says, "Lord, hold not this sin against them."

Need I go on? The subsequent story of Christianity as recorded in Acts is simply a perpetuation of Christ's own Gospel career, with the role of Christ being filled in similar situations by his followers. And so Christ lives on from age to age. He delivers us not so much a code of behavior to follow but himself as a Way of Being, a life style, a role to be played over and over again by you and me - a Way of Being to be reinforced by communion with Christ made present in bread and wine at every Eucharist we attend.

Indeed, according to St. Paul, the one big secret hidden for ages and finally revealed in the New Testament is simply this: "Christ in you - the hope of glory!" Which is no doubt why Paul can say things like, "I live, now not I, but Christ lives in me." Does Christ become present in you from day to day? Are you ready to come up on stage and take a chance at playing the greatest role of all time - To Be?

-- Geoff Wood