Band wagon

of Jesus (Mark 1:1)
Today William Hague got in on the act. He told us all that things are even worse than we thought, that there is massive unemployment, and that he has the solution, to reduce social distancing from two metres to one. Now I may be a cynic, but these two do not seem to be cause and effect. Both are, in fact, the effect of our attempts to battle COVID-19. Reducing our distance will help transport and hospitality. It may even allow businesses to function. But that's hardly the point. If it also allows the virus to spread then we are back to square one and another round of lockdown and lost employment. 
So why does this make me a cynic? Well, I suspect another motive for his measured outburst. He wants to get ahead of the game and be seen as the saviour of our nation by pushing the government into changing the social distancing rules. It is all too common for politicians to do this. They need to be seen to make a difference so they find a popular cause and behave as if they are its figurehead. I don't particularly blame them. They are like modern academics who need to publish at regular intervals. If they don't get their name attached to some good news then they will not progress in their career. Or so they think. 
So, I am intrigued that the first mention of Jesus is passive, belonging to, of, about. Technically a possessive, indicated by that minimum of all punctuations, the apostrophe. It is Jesus' good news and it is no longer good news if it becomes detached. That's why Mark starts with it. Jesus is both the purveyor and the content of the good news, both message and messenger, to the extent that they cannot be separated. It is always ἡσου as well as ἡσους. Unlike the politician who has to work for his good news, Jesus, simply by being Jesus, is good news. The good news is not the story but the person. The story is just there to introduce us to that person. So as we read remember, this is an invitation not merely to know about Jesus but to know Jesus, and so to find 'life in all its fullness'.

An abundance of roses gracing the Rectory hedge

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