Locked Down? Look Up!
By Marc Eskander
July 2021, Sydney Australia.
Midway through the Apostles Fast.
It seems like deja vu that we are here again; finding ourselves in the midst of another strict lockdown, tackling the ever-present issue of the coronavirus.
A year ago, the future looked bright and hopeful. We were emerging from our first major lockdown, new infections were low or non-existent, and it seemed like the worst of it was over. That was partly true, but as the year went on, spikes in infections brought on by lapses in quarantine or infection control would once again bring on restrictions or lockdowns.
Analysing the past 12 months, an interesting pattern emerged (well in Sydney, Aus anyways). These restrictions and lockdowns seemed to occur during major fasts and feasts.
Lent 2020, Apostles Fast 2020, Nativity Fast 2020, Apostles Fast 2021…
This could very well just be a coincidence since these times also coincide with school holidays, but coincidence or not…one can’t help but wonder if there’s something to pay attention to here. It is interesting to examine the history of our church and especially in its moments of imprisonment and restrictions.
Undoubtedly the greatest of these is St Paul. He is recorded to have been imprisoned three times, and a bulk of his literary work came during these imprisonments. It is extraordinary to behold the language in these Epistles when read in the context of someone in chains, beaten, suffering and awaiting execution. On their own, the epistles bring hope and joy to the reader, but they take on a whole different meaning when the context of their author and the surroundings is understood.
Take the second Epistle to Timothy for example, written near the end of St Paul’s life:
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel…
To the Colossians:
We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven
Colossians 1:3-5
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding…
Colosians 1:9
I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church
Colossians 4:2
To the Philippians:
“But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ.”
Philippians 4:6
For St Paul, it is evident in his writings here, that his experiences in jail have brought about a deep sense of conviction and spirituality that has emboldened and strengthened not just his own faith, but of those he served.
When we read a verse such as Phil 4:6 and are commanded to be anxious for nothing, we should understand that this is coming from someone who had the very existence of his life to be anxious for, not a University exam. He could not guarantee his survival the next day. I am not attempting to minimise our problems in the 21st Century, but instead magnify the peace of God. If St Paul, in chains, at times shipwrecked, stoned, beaten, experienced the surpassing peace of God, then we should be confident of the same in our much more comfortable and stable lives.
Another key feature of St Paul’s writings in this time is the introduction of every writing with thanksgiving and the mention of constant and unceasing prayer. Asceticism, when mixed with solitude, is powerful. A key ingredient of any ascetic practice is focus and attention to what you are doing. In our modern day lives, this is admittedly a difficult thing to achieve. Even St Paul would’ve experienced distractions in his daily ministry; the problems of the churches, his physical ailments and survival, the attacks from enemies etc…in Prison…while they didn’t disappear, he was allowed a time to turn his attention to God, which in turn energised his love for the Church.
In his unceasing prayer, he found tears and comfort in praying for the faithful. He found fulfilment in rejoicing in his sufferings, knowing that he was participating in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of His Church. He found purpose in his mission, knowing that the chains offered a medium through which he preached the word of Christ.
It is very clear from the Epistles that St Paul’s sufferings have been transformed to a fountain of grace and blessing not only for his own “race set before him”, but for his ministry to the world. For St Paul, to suffer is to share in the sufferings of Christ, and for a follower of Christ, this is the ultimate goal.
If we dare to imitate Christ, this is a calling to participate in the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord. There would have been no impact from His ministry, healings, or words if not crowned by the Crucifixion and Resurrection. St Paul lived this in every single way possible. In perseverance of prayer and thanksgiving in the midst of a dark and lonely prison, in accepting his own weakness in order for the strength of Christ to be made perfect through him, in his joyful acceptance of every single tribulation that befell him, knowing that “they have turned out for the furtherance of the gospel.” To add to that, not only was his acceptance of tribulation joyful, it drove him to love his neighbour even more, accepting the lost and the sinner just as Christ did, in recognition of his own beginnings.
St Paul was truly a man of his and The Word. His life is a manifestation of his words “for to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” He had one guarantee, death, as we all do. Yet Christ transformed this life. St Paul’s time on earth was a life lived fully in the arms of Christ, his joy and purpose fuelled by the love of his Lord and His Word. Yet he lived his life in all joy, love and hope knowing that an even greater, more intimate life with Christ awaited him. That is what the Gospel offers us. The transformation of our current life into a life lived in Christ, and the transformation of our death into eternal life. Living with that in mind, the trials of life, it’s sufferings, setbacks, failures, sin, corruption….they all take on new meaning. A transformed meaning.
Let us learn from St Paul, that in whatever state we are in to abide in Christ. If in lockdown, let us learn to pray unceasingly and give thanks, redeeming the time in exchange for a taste of life with our Lord. Let us learn to use our pain in the pursuit of loving others, to treat others with the same measure of immense gentleness and mercy that Christ has poured on us.