Level Crossing

Centuries ago, before stamps were invented, you had to pay the postman a sizeable sum to receive a letter.  Today, however, life has been transformed by electronic communication.

There seems a definite progression in audience size: from e-mails are sent directly between people; through Facebook, where comments are shared among invited friends; to Twitter, where observations are spread to a wide community of self-selected followers.  Some of these communities can be large, well into the tens of thousands.

Perhaps this is an over-simplification, but these different levels might reflect particular layers of society.  Twitter users include politicians, broadcasters, celebrities and businesspeople (so what am I doing amongst them?), while Facebook users tend to be social groups – whether formal or informal – or people with a common interest.  And when it comes to e-mail ... well, anyone who wants to communicate more easily, quickly and cheaply than using the post!

In His earthly ministry, Jesus addressed Himself to all strata of society.  He related to His disciples, to Jewish leaders, tax collectors, reformed prostitutes and sinners of all kinds; to the sick and the healthy, the old and the young, and to a multi-married woman beside a well.

Writing to the Romans, St Paul goes to great lengths to explain that when it comes to salvation there is no difference between the Jews and the Greeks.  Jews thought themselves superior to everyone because, traditionally, they were God's people; the Greeks (meaning here those of any nation who spoke Greek) thought they were superior because they were the world's cultured élite.  Paul explains that, “there is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  But they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.  God publicly displayed him at his death as the mercy seat accessible through faith.” – Rom. 3:22-25, (my italics.)

God’s gift of redemption, the death of Jesus and His Resurrection that we celebrate this month, are for everyone, for everyone from – in the words of Cecil Frances Alexander (the writer of “There is a Green Hill”, which we may well be singing in our churches this month) – ‘the rich man in his castle’ to ‘the poor man at his gate.’

So, when you send your next e-mail, update your Facebook status or tweet your followers, think of the many layers of people you might be addressing, and pray that each might be touched by God’s love this Easter.