Be open to hope over this weekend
AS we continue to watch the conflict and pain in our world, including the continuing war in Ukraine, the horrific plight of people in Gaza, the nightmare of Israelis held hostage, children abducted in Nigeria, the misuse of power in so many places, and people traumatised by earthquakes, floods, fire and famine, how we long for it all to be over.
These are but a few examples amid the suffering of people and places in our world – and let’s not forget the climate crisis and our destruction of the planet.
Closer to home, the cost-of-living crisis looms large, as does the prevalence of abuse of all kinds, and there will be different things in our own stories which we long to end.
On Good Friday, Christians across the world will pause to reflect on the words of Jesus Christ, spoken as he hung on a cross – a place of cruel death.
And we will be reminded of that moment when darkness covered the land and Jesus Christ cried out ‘It is finished.’
He was not simply referring to his life being over.
Rather, those words ‘It is finished’ are about the triumph of love over mess, and light over darkness, and life over death.
Three days later Jesus Christ’s friends discovered that he was alive and raised from death.
The course of history was changed for ever on that first Easter day.
Even now amid the mess and pain of life, God is in the business of transformation.
We can dare to face our brokenness because the overwhelming love-youto-death love of Jesus Christ is stronger than the darkest dark, and even stronger than death itself.
Nothing can change that. It is finished.
As you live this holy-day weekend, aware of all that you long to be over, may you be open to the hope offered us in Jesus Christ.
This good news is being shared at the Cathedral and at a church near you on Easter Sunday.