Editorial

Much has been said already by both Rev Stephen Caddy and Rev Stephen Burgess about new beginnings and it is, surely, with anticipation and joy that we welcome Stephen and Christine into the circuit, and we pray God’s richest blessing on them.

But, for my editorial slot, I thought I would introduce some ‘guest editors’ to contribute to Contact each month. This month, reflecting ‘new beginnings’ I have invited Lazarus to speak with us:

“I have no clue what happened to me. All I knew was that I was ill and fading away fast – I heard voices fussing around me. From his previous visit, I knew that Jesus would be at risk if he came back again; the religious authorities were already plotting against him, and would come here if there was any chance of closing the net on him. I prayed for his sake he would not come back – but I learnt later that Martha felt that was something that Jesus had to decide, so she sent word. The next few days are a complete blank – all I know is what I have been told, I was dead and buried. Four days after I died, I heard a voice call to me; it was Jesus. All he said was ‘Lazarus, come out!’ and I walked into the daylight. Whether I’d died (or simply appeared to be dead) I will never know – but if I wasn’t dead, I might as well have been. I cannot explain it – nor do I intend to; but it wasn’t just about being alive – I felt a new life in me.

Many people had come to console Mary and Martha, but amongst them were spies for the religious authorities, who returned to Jerusalem and told the Pharisees what had happened to me. I heard later that they tried to kill me in order to silence the truth, and disillusion Jesus’ followers. It was a dangerous time – but I didn’t care. Jesus’ new life had touched me, and I had a quality of living I had never had before. After Jesus’ resurrection, I realised that HE was the new life. My sisters and I came to see that what happened to me was less about coming back to life, but about having what we call ‘resurrected life’ – and having it in the here and now.”