The Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann died in June 2025. He was a pre-eminent professor of Theology and his work on preaching, the Psalms, the practice of Sabbath, and the Prophetic writings in the Bible were masterful. So much of his work was weaved together with different themes. One of the themes, was “radical hope”.

Another of his themes that was always so striking, was his reflections on Western society, particularly the United States, being caught up in the grasp of what he described as a “culture of death”. His argument, at its most simplistic rendering was that this culture was driven by, consumerism, militarism and the notion of scarcity. We all want things. We’ll fight for things. We base so much of our world-view on the idea that “those people over there” want our… whatever, and we will guard it and even try to take theirs.

For Brueggemann the consequence of this world view meant that it is easy to dehumanize others, to see people for what we can get out of them. It meant that so much of society becomes anxiety-ridden. Endlessly comparing ourselves to others, envying others, trying to take what belongs to others. Ultimately this world view can lead to violence. Hubristic military action, or the violent taking of other people’s resources, maybe breaking into someones house and stealing their jewellery, maybe it’s more to do with envying another nation’s national resources.

The ”culture of death” sounds disappointingly all too familiar. And yet, as Christians, at this time of year, we celebrate the death of death. We celebrate life winning out over the forces of darkness. we remember the death of, and celebrate the resurrection of, Jesus, God’s son.

We celebrate our calling to be people who live the culture of resurrection, not death. Through Jesus God is making all things new. It’s time to play our part by “beating swords into ploughshares” and whispering “resurrection” to our neighbours in the street, and to the plants growing in our gardens!

Happy Resurrection day everyone!

Rev Tim