2000

11th April 2000
"Involved Chickens and Committed Pigs": Bishop Michael Malone's Easter Message
After I'd given what I thought was a rather impassioned appeal to a group of parents about a deeper participation in their childrens' education, the Master of Ceremonies rose to his feet to thank me for my speech.

He summed it up very nicely in one sentence by saying:

"Parent involvement and participation in education is a bit like having bacon and eggs for breakfast - the chicken was involved, the pig was committed!"

Each year, Lent, Holy Week and Easter highlight our level of commitment. They ask the question: "are you merely involved in the reign of God or are you committed to it?"

"Involvement" is a word that suggests a person is implicated in a situation. It implies a passing or a fringe interest, whereas "commitment" suggests a more complete engagement in a situation, an engagement which occupies one fully.

Jesus Christ invites his followers to be committed to his cause and he wants that commitment to be total. Mere involvement is not good enough!

Psalm 119: 113 declares: "I have no love for the half-hearted." Similarly, in Revelation 3:16: "since you are neither hot nor cold, but only lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth."

These, and many other, references speak about actively engaging the kingdom of God, as did Jesus himself. Holy Week and Easter recall that his commitment was total. He died on the cross because of the level of his engagement. He rose from the dead to demonstrate the validity of his commitment.

We are reminded at Easter that, as Christians, we are commanded to actively engage the reign of God. What is that "reign?" It is the active promotion of truth, grace, justice, love and peace in our world.

Before Jesus could complete his Father's work on earth, he died. However, before he died he asked his disciples to complete it. It is now up to us to finish the work he began.

That work will inevitably bring pain and even death. But oh, the rewards are great - NEW LIFE!

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