What is the connection between a man dying on a cross 2000 years ago and our ordinary lives today? No one will be able to give a completely satisfying answer to that question because we are dealing with mystery. We live with and in the Mystery that is Christ. As followers of Christ we trust what he tells us about himself, (because Faith is a religious word for trust) but there are two approaches that are helpful. Firstly, that the whole benefit of Our Lord's suffering and death was that he was truly God as well as truly human. That God allowed Himself to be humiliated in that way has a spiritual power beneficial to us beyond words can express. The second approach is to say that when we experience suffering in its many forms Our Lord, who has suffered before us, comes to rescue us or save us - He is our Saviour. He lifts us up, dusts us down and sets us off again on the road of life with Himself as our constant companion. As I say, it is mystery. As we come close to another Holy Week, we ask the Lord humbly to allow us a little more insight into this sacred mystery.
Church History, which we pursue on this website, is about the relationship between Our Lord and the members of the Church through the centuries. Saint John Ogilvie, whom we are following just now, will have no difficulty in standing aside to allow us to focus on The Lord for whom he gave his life. Christ The Lord is the Centre of History. Nothing that has ever happened is more important than His 33 years on earth. Nothing has had more impact. Nothing has had such long-lasting effect.