Bishop finds pandemic has resonances to Easter story
THE Bishop of Lichfield has spoken of the “grief, sorrow and loss” seen during the pandemic and the hope that has emerged with the rollout of the vaccination programme.
Drawing similiarites with the Easter story, the Right Rev Dr Michael Ipgrave said that Christ’s disciples were also left traumatised by the discovery of His body, but that then gave way to hope when “something totally unexpected happened”.
In his message, the bishop said: “We have all been through some very solemn times in the last year, as individuals, as communities, as a nation, as a world. It has sometimes felt as if our world was coming to an end, as all our plans have been shattered. For so many there has been grief, sorrow and loss.
“Those were also the feelings of Jesus’ first friends 2,000 years ago as they saw his battered body shoved into the ground. But then something
totally unexpected happened, and they found a hope they could not have dreamt of. The world became a different place for them, as they lived their lives with a new sense of purpose and care.
“Many of us are on the brink of that feeling this Easter. There is a new hope abroad as vaccinations spread, as restrictions are lifted, as the world opens up to us again. We still carry burdens of sadness and anxiety, but we can see a way ahead and we can look forward to meeting and greeting one another again.
“As we start to do that, we remember we all belong to one another across our one world. We have together been through a pandemic, which means literally something which affects all people. None of us can think of our own safety alone, and our joy is not complete until all have come through this terrible ordeal.”
Many churches will be open at Easter, but the bishop said he would be in his garden on Easter morning, “online with my candle”.
He added: “I know that this great feast will bring joy and hope into my heart. I pray that it may be the same for you.”