From the Rev. Professor James Haire, President of the Uniting Church in

Australia

At this time we come to the central festival of Christianity.

It is also a time in Australian society when there has been sustained questioning of our public life. The integrity of our public institutions has been under the spotlight. Political process, parliamentary privilege, the church and the defence force have all been open to deep questioning during the first few months of this year.

Behind this lies the questioning about the integrity and honesty of the operations of our public institutions. Many are asking, Who can we trust today?

Again the issue of truth arises. That was the central issue around the events of the first Good Friday and Easter Day.

We could ask the question, What would an Easter Christ expect of our public institutions today? The answer is that Jesus would expect today what he hoped for 2,000 years ago: a just community which valued love for our neighbour and truth in our dealing with each other – at all levels.

As one executed because he confronted corruption in the law, the religious authorities, and the government of his day, Jesus stood for that which is good, honest and truthful in personal and public life.

As one who upheld the dignity and value of all people – even the lepers, tax collectors and unpopular minorities – Jesus represents God’s solidarity with all people.

Our public institutions, if they are to have a semblance of Christian character, will reflect those same Christian virtues: honesty, compassion, equality and justice for all.

Easter, in a profound and very human way, represents God’s intersection with humanity.

The theological basis of our Christian identity lies in the wonder of God’s intention to be in solidarity with sinners, ordinary people. God is not separate from humanity; rather, through Christ, God’s very life intersects with our human life.

That means, those who follow Christ do not find their self-identity solely within themselves but in celebrating the wonder of God’s inexpressible love for humanity.

This gracious act of God – to be for and with humanity – implies that, for Christians, our life cannot begin to be understood in terms of the structures and events of the world.

The way of Christ leads to a desire for our community to be one based on love, honesty and service – the very attributes we would expect from our public institutions.

March 2002 —————–