21st March, 2021.
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My dear friends,

Looking back, I am slightly surprised to realise that I wrote the first of my weekly letters to members of St John in Essex exactly a year ago on 20th March 2020 at the start of the coronavirus lockdown. I must say that March 2020 feels a lifetime ago. Looking back to 2020, I think we all expected the coronavirus pandemic would be overcome by the Autumn or by Christmas at the latest. Instead, it has turned out to be the biggest medical emergency the world has faced since the Spanish ‘Flu pandemic in 1918. A century later we have the great advantages of modern science and medicine, but in all likelihood the coronavirus vaccine will have to be extended to everyone in every country.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought out both the best and the worst in people. Some people have behaved in a selfish and careless manner. Rather more people, I judge, have behaved with generosity, kindness, thoughtfulness and imagination. We have had the steady example of service of H.M. The Queen, and I am sure you will all join me in praying for the continued recovery of Prince Philip following his discharge from hospital.

As your chaplain, I have been very moved by many of the stories I have heard of ways in which St John folk have risen to face the difficulties of the past twelve months with good humour and quiet determination. This has involved large ventures such as the Nightingale Hospitals and the vaccination centres, and also many small acts of kindness and generosity. It is not the nature of St John folk to be showy, but, inspired by our motto Pro Fide Pro Utilitate Hominem – ‘for the faith and for the benefit of humanity’ – we have quietly got on with the work of keeping many people going around the country. The record of the past year is one of which we may rightly be proud.

At the start of the coronavirus pandemic a year ago the Priory Dean sent us some very helpful prayers. I reproduce them below, together with one of the prayers we use at our annual service at Little Maplestead.

​​With my prayers and all good and warm wishes,

The Rev. Dr ROBERT BEAKEN, County Chaplain
Prayers for use during the coronavirus pandemic
 
Lord of all, when life seems dark, help us to put our trust in you. Inspire us with the knowledge that, in times of trial, you are most powerfully at work – challenging, deepening and strengthening faith, equipping us for new avenues of service and opening the way to a richer experience of your love. In that assurance, lead us forward to minister in faith for the service of humanity, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
Gracious God, at this time of anxiety and sorrow for so many, remind us that through the agony and desolation of the Cross, you were supremely at work, bringing light out of darkness, hope out of despair, good out of evil and life out of death. Help us to look to the future with faith and to face the present with peace in our hearts, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
 
Living God, whatever you call us to do, help us to perform it faithfully, gladly and wholeheartedly, to the glory of your name. Amen.
 
Lord Jesus Christ, we go out in your strength, knowing that, whatever we may face, you will be sufficient for all our needs. In you we put or trust, now and always. Amen.
 
St John prayer used at Little Maplestead
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Almighty and ever-loving God, whose most dear Son Jesus Christ went about healing the sick and comforting the afflicted: pour thy blessing, we beseech thee, upon the work of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, St John Ambulance, St John Eye Hospital, and St John Fellowship; Inspire, guide, and strengthen, we pray thee, all who work to overcome disease and relieve suffering, for the Faith and the Benefit of Humanity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
LENT 5/PASSION SUNDAY – 21st MARCH 2021.
 
Gospel: St John, chapter 12, verses 20-33
Today, the fifth Sunday in Lent, is traditionally known as Passion Sunday. The last fortnight of Lent is known as Passiontide.
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            When we hear the word ‘passion’ we are apt to think of love stories. We might think of a Barbara Cartland novel: ‘the tale of Dr X and Nurse Y who fell passionately in love in the Outpatients Department.’  Well, that is certainly one, modern meaning of the word; but actually ‘passion’ is a much older word and really means ‘to suffer because of love.’ God, we might say, suffers out of love for His children. To put it in a way we can easily understand: if a member of our family is seriously ill, in pain, or suffers a great misfortune, then, because we love them and care very deeply what happens to them, we suffer alongside them. The same is true for God, except that He suffers alongside the whole of the human race.

            Today’s Gospel reading is very significant, because we get a tiny glimpse into the thinking of Jesus Christ in the weeks leading up to his betrayal and crucifixion. Jesus knew he had to die and that he would rise again on the third day – he mentioned it several times to his disciples. But why? What was the purpose of his dying? Well, Jesus died upon the cross in sacrifice for our sins. He died to undo the effects of the Fall and of Original Sin. He died in order to defeat death itself, so that all who believe and trust in him might have eternal life.

In today’s Gospel reading we see Jesus trying one day to explain all of this to his disciples. It wasn’t a very easy idea to get across, but Jesus suddenly saw grain of wheat and he said to them, ‘You see this grain of wheat? Unless it falls into the earth and dies, it remains a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.’

            The seed dies and rots in the ground, but as it does so it comes into contact with the soil and with moisture and a change occurs. It begins to germinate and eventually it grows up and bears much fruit: all from one tiny seed. Likewise, Jesus was saying, he must die on the cross in order to bear much fruit; and the fruit that he will bear is the forgiveness of sins and gift of eternal life for all who turn to him and give him their hearts and lives in faith.

            There was a soldier in the First World War, who went into the trenches and experienced the horror of the Western Front, with daily death and mutilation. ‘Where was God in all this,’ he wondered, ‘How could God allow all this to happen?’ He became disillusioned and angry. Then, something strange happened. He spotted a carved wooden crucifixion scene, known as a Calvary, erected by ordinary French agricultural workers beside a field long before the war. After a while, he started spotting such crucifixes in many places in Northern France. It wasn’t what he was used to in England. This image of Jesus on his Cross burrowed deep into the soldier’s mind. After a while, he realised where Jesus was. He was in No-Man’s Land with the injured and dying; he was with the troops in both sets of trenches, British and German; he was in the casualty clearing stations, the operating theatres, the hospital trains; he was with grieving families at home, their worlds blown apart by the arrival of a telegram.

            That is the true meaning of ‘Passion,’ and perhaps one of the most important things we can know about the nature of God.

Yet, I don’t want to end on such a sad note. Life is sad and unfair at times for all of us. Bad things do happen, because of the Fall. But life isn’t all like that. There is also laughter, and good experiences, and times of creativity, generosity, and love. God is with us in these, too. Imagine a new-born baby. Think what wonderful thoughts that little boy or girl stirs up in our hearts. We want him or her to be happy, to grow up healthy and strong, to be safe, to be loved, to make the most of our time on this earth. There is almost nothing we wouldn’t do for that baby.

            Now, that is how God feels when He looks at the human race. There is nothing He wouldn’t do for us. That is why He sent His Son, Jesus Christ.

One of the things I have missed during the lockdown is singing hymns. I suppose in a sense we express our theology through what we sing. I’d like to end with some words from from Bishop Walsham How’s wonderful hymn ‘It is a thing most wonderful’ which seems to me to sum up most beautiful the insight of Passion Sunday – that God is passionate in His love for His children. (‘It is a thing most wonderful’, by the way, has a lovely, melodious hymn tune – worth searching on YouTube),
 
It is a thing most wonderful,
Almost too wonderful to be,
That God’s own Son should come from heaven,
And die to save a child like me.
 
But even could I see him die,
I could but see a little part
Of that great love, which, like a fire,
Is always burning in his heart.
 
It is most wonderful to know
His love for me so free and sure;
But ‘tis more wonderful to see
My love for him so faint and poor.
 
And yet I want to love thee, Lord;
O light the flame within my heart,
And I will love thee more and more,
Until I see thee as thou art