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The Chibi News Daily Reflection
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Welcome to the Anglican parish of St Andrew's Wimbledon, where I serve as vicar
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In the story of Lazarus, Jesus is warned not to return to the region of Judea
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because people there have already tried to stone him. You can understand his friends would be afraid, it would be safer to keep away, he is a marked man
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But Jesus goes. before Lazarus is wonderfully raised from the tomb there is a quiet decision to make first
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to walk towards this risk rather than away from it and from this point on the story the path leads
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steadily towards the cross what's striking is Jesus never moves recklessly he moves in love
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he steps towards grief towards danger even towards death itself not because he is careless
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but because he is committed to bringing life. You see, the Christian story does not present a distant God
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safely removed from suffering. It shows a God who enters in to this world of tears
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And as we move through Lent, this moment reminds us that love is not ruled by fear
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In Christ, even that darkest, most dangerous road can become the place where life begins again
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Love means he doesn't walk away from but towards danger, ultimately going to the cross to die
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And in a world still marked by fear and danger, what would it look like to have this kind of love and courage
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I found that Jesus is quite unlike any other leader or teacher who has a life that is even stronger to death
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as Lazarus and many others since have found out
