Easter messages give hope to marginalised
IN HIS Easter sermon, the Archbishop of Canterbury said the primary witnesses of Easter are those who are marginal in the culture.
“Given the importance that we in society give to celebrity endorsements this is a little disconcerting,” he continued.
Archbishop Welby said that current events can cause the ‘temptation to cynical despair’ though he reminded listeners that ‘resurrection life is springing up all over the world’.
The Archbishop referred to the trip he and his wife, Caroline, recently made to a makeshift church in Burundi where they heard stories of violence from the local people.
“I did what I have learned is the best thing to do when among followers of Jesus Christ, however bad their circumstances, whether in that church or in a refugee camp the next day, and spoke about Jesus Christ, alive,” he said.
“Quiet fell, broken later by rifle fire and grenades. At the end, we sang again, and the place lifted in worship, drums playing, people dancing. This was Christianity, living out Easter hope,” he continued.
Archbishop Welby said Easter is good news for governments and leaders ‘stretched in the face of infinite need’.
“God steps in at that first Easter and the world changes. The news of Easter isn’t about the cycles of life, of how spring follows winter. There is nothing natural about resurrection. At Easter God is completely disrupting the pattern of life and death.
“Resurrection is an act of God. Like all acts of God it asks us questions.
“Why do you look for the living among the dead?” he asked.
In his Easter sermon, the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan (pictured), said that the Easter message demonstrates that the God of Jesus is greater even than death.
“That does not mean, as one poster I saw last week said, ‘You can live forever because of Easter’ as if death could be bypassed and we simply carried on as if we were immortal but rather that we will all die but the God of Jesus is greater even than death and he will raise us to new life in his presence.
“He can and does make all things new for us humans and for our world as well,” he said.