The Quad - Easter 2009

Easter - hope springs eternal

I met an amazing man recently who had come over to Wellington for a short break. It was more like a time of recuperation. Do you remember the novels you read at school? Often people went to the seaside, or across to the continent (in those very English books) for health reasons.
Coming to Wellington was meant to be a tonic for him. He has some family here. His immediate family, sadly, died in the recent bush fires in the State of Victoria - his wife and his fifteen and thirteen year old children. Children the same age as the secondary students we see charging around the place each day at Scots.
This man came to church to connect with people of common faith and vision. It was a humbling experience to meet him. I had a great sense of admiration that he was standing there, sharing such a deep loss with me. He seemed so grateful for the ministry that had been offered. He was encouraging and full of faith. He was reflecting on what to do with the life – his life - that had been spared.
For many of us, life seems easy sailing. Others, however, experience the most devastating troubles and challenges. From the depths of our very being, through courage and often through faith, we seem to find the resources to cope, and to remain hopeful about the future.
As the celebration of Easter approaches in the Christian church, the season of Lent is a time when people deliberately go without ordinary things – a particular favourite food or drink, or a pleasure they may enjoy. The purpose of these disciplines it to focus the mind on the greatest sacrifice - the death of Christ Jesus on the cross
Now I know that our children (and we too, I suspect) are rather fond of the chocolate eggs and hot cross buns that come at Easter. But there is a deeper message of hope and new life. Christ’s example of courage in the face of what was clearly an unwarranted punishment and execution speaks of hope too – He entrusted His life to the Creator in the hope of resurrection, a fundamental pillar of the Christian faith.
Easter of course is a northern hemisphere celebration that coincides with spring.
The writer Alexander Pope who gave the English language phrases like “For fools rush in where angels fear to tread” also produced this: “Hope springs eternal in the human breast.” Optimism, hopefulness, faith and confidence are all important in our human journey. Perhaps gratitude is the most important. When things are tough, we are never alone. The Easter message is about hope. May you be blessed and supported in whatever challenge you may face at this time.

Rev Robin Palmer