Easter Devotional

By Rev Lydia Neshangwe, CWM Moderator

2 Kings 4:1-7

There is a popular story of the miracle of the widow’s oil. This Old Testament story can help us draw parallels with another popular story, the Easter story.

The “widow” represents the many people with no protector or provider, either temporarily or as a permanent state - the people who are exposed, feeling vulnerable inside, and vulnerable outside. Vulnerable to abuse and mockery. These are the people at the bottom of their emotional resources, or governed by unjust forces, or ruled by unreasonable laws. This, in the Easter story, is at the heart of what it was like when Christ died and was rendered to the grave. It is a state of darkness and hopelessness.

The “creditor” represents the masters trying to take control of our lives, hearts, and minds. They are the powerful, the strong, and the mighty. They come in many forms: physical, emotional, or spiritual masters that come to “kill, steal and destroy” and put us in bondage to a life of fear and anxiety. Then we are left with no defender, no rescuer, and no supporter. It is a state of being reduced to having “nothing” as the widow described of her situation. This, in the Easter story, is what appeared to be the victory of Satan over Jesus upon the death of Jesus.

The “prophet” Elisha represents a necessary and alternative power that is available to us, from which we can learn three important things:

Firstly, the power of the “little.” When asked what she had, the widow replied that she had “a little oil.” We need to help people see that they don’t have “a little.” A “little” faith, which Jesus says may be as small as a mustard seed, can produce amazingly large results. We need to help people stop focusing on the tomb time and look forward to more that God is capable of doing through what they already have. Second is the power of obedient action. The widow obediently acted and collected empty jars from her neighbours. By collecting the jars from them she was leaving them curious or having a kind of expectation of something to happen. We need to stop spreading words of hopelessness, negativity, and cynicism around us. We need to be different from the media otherwise we will produce more of the same and we will reap what we sow. We have to be so counter-cultural that, like the widow, we go around doing strange acts of obedience – collecting good news, raising faith-based expectations, bringing together the potential in our contexts, and highlighting the positive message that it’s not over until God steps in.

And thirdly, the power of working behind the scenes. The widow was instructed to “go inside and shut the door.” In the Easter story, when Jesus died and was buried, it meant a period of waiting behind the scenes. But it is not a meaningless or useless wait. It is a waiting that allows God to download the resurrection of the situation. It is what I call a ‘sacred hibernation’ where you stop focusing on yourself and your capabilities, and allow God to kill your love of publicity, recognition, power, ego, and love of reputation. The power is in allowing God’s power to take over the situation so that there is less of me and more of God. The Easter story ends dramatically with God transforming death into resurrection, defeat into victory.

And when the resurrection happens, it is always better than our human solutions. It is like the abundant oil that fills all the jars of the whole neighbourhood. It is like the anointing oil that the Psalmist says, “He anoints my head with oil; my cup overflows.” And then we are resurrection people because we have experienced God’s resurrection of dead situations.

CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2022 Theme: Women - Breaking Chains, Nurturing Communities and Planting Seeds of Hope

The Council for World Mission Caribbean and Europe Regions Europe will be hosting a Zoom event on International Women’s Day, 8 March, 11:30 a.m. Jamaica time/4:30 p.m. UK time as they join with churches and communities worldwide to celebrate the strides made by women in church ministry – in pews and pulpits, classrooms, and centres of care and nurture.

Women are the backbone of their churches and societies, playing a significant role in the survival and nurturing of their families, communities and building up the Christian church. They are agents of healing - providing food, shelter, hospitality, health care, comfort and avenues for peace and reconciliation. Despite the arduous work of women in contributing to the essentials to life, including building up the community of believers, they are often denied full humanity in church and society. Gender injustices remain a challenge in church and society.

This virtual event themed "Women - Breaking Chains, Nurturing Communities and Planting Seeds of Hope" will celebrate women in leadership and highlight pioneering work of women in the ordained ministry in the Caribbean. Women from the Caribbean, Europe and Africa will share their struggles and vision for a transformed church and ecumenical movement, where justice and partnership will flourish and be a positive influence and understanding of being church today in these challenging times of – the COVID-19 pandemic and gender, racial, caste, tribe, economic, and climate injustices.

The event will be the highlight of a journey for gender justice and partnership which includes research on women in leadership in Caribbean churches, and liturgical and Bible study resources to celebrate International Women’s Day in church services on March 6, 2022.

Join us in a time of worship, songs, poetry, and our highlight - a table talk - on 11:30 a.m. Jamaica time/12:30 p.m. Guyana time/4:30 p.m. UK time.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85107121476?pwd=N3VzaUhLU3luLzlxSTRJQ3B1VFRtZz09&

Zoom Meeting ID 851 0712 1476 Passcode CWM-IWD