And so we in Auckland remain in level 3 for another 12 days. What once felt sturdy now might feel more fragile. Forces we can’t control can leave us feeling powerless. I remember our recent walk to Hooker Glacier at the base of Mt Aoraki (in those free days we got used to not so long ago). When looking down from one of the large swing bridges, I saw this massive rock, split in two. It spoke to me of such immense power.

At the end of Matthew 27 we read of Jesus’ death on the cross, and the response of the earth itself. The earth shook and the rocks split, in order that entombed bodies were raised to life. In the very moment of death, the earth responded in giving unexpected life. So I wonder if we can find unexpected life giving moments amidst these times when we feel powerless. These times when all the power seems to be out of our hands. Perhaps it is a lockdown walk that slows you down and makes you see things afresh. Perhaps it is remembering the gift of a phone call. Simple yet profound things that offer new life. Rock splitting.