So many, I had not thought Death had undone so many.....

As we negotiate another All Fools Day, we try to charm what we fear by rituals and talismans, the jet beads and the guards, the chains of prayers guaranteed to provide protection and everlasting life and prosperity. And to make assurance doubly sure, we invest in the latest technologies of security, fortifying our homes and body guarding our possessions and our persons against the threat of death.

This April presents us with the image and example of the One who became a Fool for us so that we could really walk in the shadow of death unafraid, because we know how to come out on the other side. Jesus Christ walks ahead of us, the point of attraction that draws us towards full humanness and away from the destructiveness of envy and greed, of fighting to secure ourselves against one another.

We would celebrate the Paschal Cycle of Jesus’ saving death and Resurrection must follow His invitation and example and go into the grave with Him. We cannot conquer death if we stay outside weeping, we have to go into the lair of death and bury all the habits and behaviours that belong to Satan so that we can really live our allegiance to Christ.

We are people who say, “God is good, but the other fellow eh bad neither.” That is a recipe for confusion as we try to walk two opposing paths heading to totally opposite destinations.

We are presented with a choice - look stupid and stop taking part in the corrupt practices that can get us promoted, or at least a little something, be a fool and refuse to buy the test paper to guarantee our place in the best schools, keep your dignity and see if that will carry you in the bank while more flexible persons get the desired spots, continue with this Church thing and see if that will help you better than going by persons who have powers! As we continue to lament the culture of death in our society and in the world, we need to look with the eyes of Christ at what is really at the root of our dis-ease, and from that perspective make a real and radical choice that will take us beyond processions and vigils to the following of a Christ whose genuine love for us led him to choose the way of generosity and surrender and ultimately a shameful death so we could find a way out of the grave and into fullness of life. A hard choice, but the only way forward into Life.