Resurrection and hope this spring
An Easter message from the Reverend Barry Roberts, Honorary Assistant Priest at St Margaret`s Whiting Bay, on behalf of Arran Churches Together.
Instead of spring, I often think the first months of the year should be called the season of HOPE.
Hope that the winter months and weather will soon be over. Hope that the weather will improve and we can get outside, tilling and planting the earth to produce home grown fruit and vegetables or, in the case of our farmers and horticulturists, food to feed the population.
Then there is the hope for health, wealth, relationships and many other things which are part of our daily lives or, in some cases, special events which are being planned for the months ahead. We all need to have that hope in our hearts, a need to look onwards and upwards.
The Hebrew people spent thousands of years wandering in the desert in the hope of arriving in the Promised Land. They had their setbacks and things did not always go according to plan but eventually, through trial and tribulation, they reached the Promised Land. As we enter the season of spring - hope - we look forward to many things, one of them being the celebration of Easter, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Perhaps we can have some extra days away from the routine of work and other chores, a time to relax and enjoy ourselves.
For Christians, it is the major festival of the year when we can look forward to new life, new beginnings in life. Fresh grass growing in the fields, crops bursting through the soil, lambs and other young animals playing in the countryside can all be enjoyed. So too, trees and plants bursting into new life in our cities and gardens.
Resurrection - renewal of life - is not confined to nature. It should be, it can be, part of our lives, for with that hope within us we can look forward and work towards better lives. Hope enables us to have faith in the future, just as the followers of Jesus did that first Easter morning, the greatest resurrection of all. It was then their utter dejection turned to joy and peace and they experienced a silence and millions have since that day.
One of Mother Teresa’s most recognised prayers came to be known as her “business card”. I believe reinforces this: The fruit of silence is prayer; The fruit of prayer is faith; The fruit of faith is love; The fruit of love is service; The fruit of service is peace. The silence of peace in our hearts and the world. Is there any greater thing to pray, hope and work for this Easter-tide and always?
I know everyone will be warmly welcome at any of the churches on Arran to join in the Easter celebrations for Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, is risen from the dead. Halleluiah.
I pray for God’s blessing on you all this Eastertide.