This year, Maundy Thursday and April Fool鈥檚 Day falls on the same day, 1 April. The Revd Adrian Bulley, 探花社区 Assistant General Secretary, reflects on this juxtaposition:
As a child and teenager, even as a young adult, I used to look forward to this date in the calendar, planning for weeks beforehand how it might be marked.
I鈥檓 talking, of course, about April Fool鈥檚 Day. The day when nothing can be taken at face value.
I鈥檓 still embarrassed to admit some of the pranks I鈥檝e pulled on April Fool鈥檚 Day. Years ago, a family friend and church member, while helping me prepare for my Institute of Bankers鈥� exams, confided in me that he had always been surprised he鈥檇 passed his accounts examination.
A few weeks later April 1st came around and a letter, purportedly from the Institute of Bankers, came through the door which advised him that an audit had revealed that there had been a mistake in his accountancy grade, and he now had 18 months to retake the exam. It was just as well his wife was in on the joke as the blood drained from his face!
The juxtaposition of April Fool鈥檚 Day and Maundy Thursday this year is an interesting coincidence.
For several of the characters in the traditional Maundy Thursday narrative the events that were unfolding seemed foolish, and Jesus a fool.
Judas was exasperated by all the defeatist talk of Jesus鈥� body being broken and blood shed, which is why he walked off into the night in frustration, leaving the fool to his destiny.
Peter could not get his head around why Jesus should be kneeling before him washing his feet, and he certainly could not understand the passivity of the Garden of Gethsemane. Where Peter preferred the sword, the fool gave himself over to the authorities.
Even Pilate could not understand why Jesus did not plead for his life and try to escape the destiny that so obviously awaited him. Pilate handed the fool over to his fate, washing his hands as he did so.
Only with the benefit of hindsight, and from our post-Easter Sunday perspective, can we recognise the apparent foolishness of Maundy Thursday as faithfulness.
Paul reminds us, in 1 Corinthians 1:25, that at the heart of our faith is foolishness: 鈥淕od鈥檚 foolishness is wiser that human wisdom, and God鈥檚 weakness is stronger than human strength.鈥�
Paul goes on in 1 Corinthians 1:26-28: 鈥淐onsider your own call 鈥� not many of you were wise by human standards 鈥� [or] powerful 鈥� [or] of noble birth 鈥� [yet] God has chosen what is foolish, weak, low and despised 鈥� to shame the wise (and) the strong.鈥�
God works through us. That may not seem like a very bright idea, foolishness even, but it is God鈥檚 way. We may be imperfect, but God has chosen us, not because we deserve to be chosen, but because God loves us, and wants us to express that love on our travels through life.
We pray:
As we recall today
food shared and feet washed,
a friend betrayed and arrested,
prosecution and mockery,
we celebrate Jesus,
faithful and purposeful,
never a fool,
eternally our Saviour,
ever beckoning us
into an enriched relationship
with you, O God.
Amen.
Image: Catholic Church of England/Flickr听