Incredible story of life and discovery is ours to write

ONE of the best bits about my job as a vicar in Clifton is hearing peoples’ stories. There are the obvious birth stories when people want to have their baby christened, tales of love when preparing for a wedding and the sharing of a loved one’s last days and passing as we plan a funeral.

But there are also all the stories in between: the good, the bad and the ugly and each one is a privilege to listen to; when we share our story we share something of ourselves and that is a very precious thing indeed.

All around the world this Easter, churches have been telling one man’s story and many of us have celebrated that story by the hunting for and eating of chocolate eggs!

This man’s story involved sacrifice, betrayal, denial, torture, death and grief. It also involved love, hope, joy, forgiveness and new life.

It has been referred to as the most amazing story of all time and has become not just one man’s story, but a story affecting the whole of humanity.

It is, of course, the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the churches in Clifton brought this 2,000-year-old story to life again through songs, videos, crafts, readings, drama and play.

But why? Why is this story still so important today?

This story of sacrificial love and new life is the foundation of the Christian faith that brought forgiveness and freedom into our world.

This story gave us a new way to live, with a personal relationship with Jesus possible for everyone and a hope of eternal life beyond the world we are in right now.

My faith in this incredible story has changed my life for the better. It has given me a peace, a joy and a purpose that I could never have imagined before becoming a Christian.

I don’t know what the rest of my story’s chapters will look like. I have no idea how many pages of narrative I have left, but I do know that “God’s got this” and that whatever happens there is no need to be afraid because Jesus is alive and promises me this, “Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20, NLT)

I don’t know what your story looks like so far, but I do know that whatever has happened there are still some unwritten chapters and we can choose to make the best of them. Today marks the beginning of the next page of our story and it’s ours to write.

■■Rev Lydia Cartwright is Team Rector in Clifton

I have no idea how many pages of narrative I have left, but I do know that ‘God’s got this’