WORD 2day: Saturday, Second week in the Eastertide
April 13, 2024 - Acts 6: 1-7; John 6: 16-21
The Easter community was born of the Word made flesh, who died and rose again, bringing the new community into existence. In this new birth of the community there were new meanings, new significations, new implications and new world view initiated. There was no dearth of crises, but the new born community had a new vision, that empowered them to approach the crises with calmness. It was the Risen Lord who taught them that.
The event narrated in the Gospel is one instance where the Lord had taught them these precious lessons: there is nothing to fear about the crises that come your way, they can become means to recognise the Lord; as long as we remain with the Lord, we could be battered by the winds of time, but we will never be blown away; if we remain with the Lord we will hear the Word right amidst the confusion - Do not be afraid, it's I!
Having learnt these from the Lord, the Easter community puts it into practice, when they are faced with one of the earliest problems that arise in the community. The lament of neglect and deprivation from one section of the community, in comparison to another section... how much such laments exist even today. What matters is, that the community responds immediately, adding to its ministries. But what is more important is the fact that they were particular not to lose there foundation...the ministry of the Word.
The centre of the Easter community was the Word, made flesh, who died and rose...they refused to lose sight of it, at any moment of their life and experience. The challenge to today's community is exactly this - how many things, how many interests, how many priorities, how many principles take us to a point where we begin unfortunately to compromise the centre of our faith and identity, the centrality of the Word!