Friday 17 April - Hope sets us free

DAILY BYTE
In his book “The Tale of Two Cities,” Charles Dickens tells the story of a doctor who was imprisoned for 20 years in a French prison. Unable to practice medicine, he kept himself occupied by practicing as a cobbler and so for 20 years he could be heard in his little cell until late at night, tapping away while repairing shoes.

When he was finally freed from prison, the doctor, strangely enough, found himself unable to cope with his freedom. He was unused to the brightness of the sun and the openness of the world around him. So he went home and prepared a room in his attic that was exactly the same size as his prison cell. Every evening he would lock himself inside and through the night would tap-tap away repairing shoes. There was a whole, open, bright world out there, but he was still consigned to his little prison because he feared to step out into it so much.

This story reminds me of how Jesus’ disciples were post the resurrection. Throughout this week I have mentioned that they only understood the complete Jesus story – his death, resurrection and ascension – in hindsight. At this stage they were still frightened, disillusioned and hopeless.

Even the news of Jesus’ resurrection did not immediately release them from these prisons of fear. This is surprising because one would have expected them to be so surprised and excited that they would have rushed out into the big, open, bright world and embraced the new Life that awaited them there.

However, like the doctor in Dickens’ story, this is not what they did. The Gospels make it clear that they remained hidden behind their locked doors, still too afraid to venture out. They were unsure of this new change in their lives. They were reluctant to embrace the Resurrection and all the hope it brought into the world because they weren’t clear on its implications.

We often live in similar ways. We live in prisons of fear, guilt, mediocrity and dysfunctionality. It may not be our fault that we originally found ourselves in those prisons, but we do have to take responsibility for STILL being in them. Through Jesus, we can know freedom, wholeness and brand new life. We can be set free to live to our full potential. Yet, we often are too afraid to seek healing and walk the difficult and lengthy journey towards wholeness, and so we rush back inside our prison cells. Strangely enough, we prefer the ‘safe’ comfort of their four walls.

Norman Cousins once said: “Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live”. The truth of the matter is that when we allow ourselves to be imprisoned in such a way, we allow something within us to die. What are you allowing to die within you because of a self-imposed prison? What are you refusing to let go of? How are you allowing fear or guilt to constrain or restrict you?

Remember as mentioned yesterday, the hope of God needs to be responded to. Perhaps it is time you did so.

PRAY AS YOU GO

Jesus is Risen! O Lord God, we give thanks for the Good News of the Resurrected Christ. We pray that this Good News would resonate deep within our hearts and souls. That it would shake and rattle our prison bars and cell doors. Help us to move beyond our locked doors and self-imposed prisons and out into the wide, open Life that you offer us through Christ. Amen.

FOCUS READING
John 20:19 (NIV)
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"