April 2022

From Tragedy to Triumph 

There is a story about the famous evangelist George Whitfield (1714-1770), whose preaching in the American colonies sparked a series of revivals known as the “Great Awakening.” One day, Whitfield received sad news that a woman with a large family recently became widowed. He resolved to help her. “When the Lord presents us with a case of need,” he said to his friend, “it is for us to meet it.” Whitfield then removed from his safe five guineas (English gold coins minted between 1663 and 1814), summoned his friend, and the two rode together on horseback to the house of the distressed widow. 

Not long after they had set out together, a robber stopped them. Threatening them with violence, he demanded that they hand over all their money. Whitfield and his friend did not hesitate; they handed over all their money, including the 5 guineas intended for the widow. The robber then departed, allowing the two men to continue on their way.

Soon, however, the robber turned back in the direction of the two men. Within a few minutes, he appeared before them again. This time he demanded from Whitfield his coat. It was cold, and so Whitfield agreed to hand over the coat on one condition: that the robber give to him his own tattered coat in exchange. The robber agreed and then turned to depart again. 

Whitfield and his friend went into a nearby town to report the theft. The constable was able to locate and arrest the robber after Whitfield gave to him a detailed description of his coat, which the robber had been wearing. Later, when the two men stopped to give their horses a rest, Whitfield reached his hand into the robber’s tattered coat and withdrew his five guineas, in addition to 100 more, which had come from earlier robberies. 

The great literary critic and author J.R.R. Tolkien, best known for his Lord of the Rings trilogy coined the word “eucatastrophe.” A compound of the word “eu” which means “good” or “well” and the word “catastrophe” which means “disaster” or an “unraveling,” the word is applied to those stories in which good comes out of disaster. We can certainly see how this story about Whitfield serves as an example of a “eucatastrophe.” 

But the greatest eucatastrophe is the one we will be commemorating this month. The enemies of Jesus have been hounding him throughout the days of his public ministry. When he reaches Jerusalem, they finally succeed in prevailing against him. He is betrayed, arrested, tried, and crucified. The story ends in sorrow, failure and disaster. But no. In the crucifixion of Jesus, God was there, reconciling the world to himself, not counting our sins against us (2 Cor. 5:19). And in raising him from the dead, God swallowed up death forever, giving us the hope of eternal life.   

Let us remember and celebrate this eucatastrophe, especially this month, as we conclude our Lenten and enter into Easter season together. 

May God fill your hearts with Easter hope. 

Pastor Chris