Below is the Thinking Anew column in today's Irish Times. Because of the coverage of the Graham Dwyer guilty verdict, the column appears in the Weekender Review on page14.
Michael Commane
Across the world tomorrow the majority of Christian churches begin Holy Week ceremonies. Christian Orthodox churches follow a week later this year.
Tomorrow, Palm Sunday, we will read the account of the passion of Jesus as recorded by Mark.
A quick reading of the headings of chapters 14 and 15 of Mark's Gospel are a universal account or understanding of human suffering.
We read about betrayal, treachery, denial, arrest, sneering, crucifixion and burial.
In so many ways it's also a story of our times.
Just last week there were newspaper headlines reporting that in 2012, 2.3 million prescriptions were written for people who experience anxiety and depression in their lives. An Irish Examiner investigation revealed that 330,000 public patients were prescribed drugs for depression and anxiety in 2012. That figure is closer to 500,000 when private patients are taken into account.
In one sense, we read the Passion account and feel indignant about how someone is treated, especially in this case, when we believe the victim is Jesus, the Son of God, the one who comes to save us. And in another sense, when reading it, we see how things never change. We continue to brutalise our fellow human beings.
Mark, the evangelist, gives a graphic description of how the crucified Jesus is mocked: "The passers-by jeered at him; they shook their heads and said, 'Aha! So you would destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days! Then save yourself: come down from the cross!' The chief priests and the scribes mocked him among themselves in the same way. 'He saved others,' they said 'he cannot save himself.' " (Mark 15: 29 - 31)
A nursery rhyme tells us: "Sticks and stones will break my bones but insults will never hurt me". In another era it might have been something mothers would have said to their children when they complained of other children jeering at them.
Sneering and laughing at someone may well not break our bones but it certainly can have a terrible effect and leave us with awful scars.
It's far too easy to sneer and mock at people, especially when they are not in a position to respond.
It is good to see the efforts that have been made in recent years to stamp out as far as possible all traces of bullying in the workplace. Schools too have made great progress in the war against bullying as has our society in general. Bullying, mocking, taunting, jeering and sneering all belong to the one family. It usually involves belittling or looking down on another person. Unfortunately, social media has become a place for bullying and usually anonymous too.
The bully or sneerer is saying: “You are no good, I am better than you and all that you deserve is derision.” It is also an attempt by the person, who bullies and sneers, to make themselves appear to be 'better' than the other person. Bullying always tries to create a 'them' versus 'us' environment.
As Christians we stress we are all children of God. It's one thing to say that, another matter when it comes to living it out in our daily lives.
Next week Christians look back at the suffering and death of Jesus. Tomorrow, and again on Good Friday we read about the suffering of the Son of God. We will see how people sneered at and mocked him in his weakest moments.
On Easter Sunday we believe he rises from the dead. He overcomes the sneering, mocking and bullying. In order for us to appreciate and live out resurrection we can never be part of the bullying and sneering brigade.
With the help of the risen Lord, we believe that every human being manifests the glory of God in a unique way.
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