Today we’re celebrating the feast of St Matthias, the disciple chosen to replace Judas. I often wonder if that was a particularly uncomfortable position to take up. I imagine that there was a lot of emotion and distress around whole situation. People would have been feeling betrayed and hurt by Judas’ actions.
In one sense the choosing of Matthias would have felt like a new beginning, but it would also have carried some pain. When new beginnings grow out of painful circumstances it’s not always so easy to walk away from the hurtful baggage.
It may be that in those times of mixed blessings it’s particularly important to hear these words from John’s farewell discourses. Jesus tells the disciples:
“Remain in my love.”
So often in painful situations we are tempted to walk away from love. When we are hurting all our instincts tell us to put up barriers to protect ourselves. Yet, those are the very times when we need to find the courage to do the opposite, to allow ourselves to remain open to the possibility of love, even if that is a costly and risky prospect.
If we desire to embrace the new life the risen Christ promises, we can’t afford to walk away from love. We have to take the risk of allowing his love into our lives, letting it shape and change is, moulding us into the new creation he calls us to be.
How is Christ moulding you into a new creation this Eastertide?