Easter Day

The Easter story is a story of both great love and great hope.  It was love that drove Mary Magdalene to get up very early in the morning by herself to anoint Jesus’ body, it was love that made John and Peter run to the tomb despite the risks, and it was love that enabled John to believe what his Lord had told him all along.  Of course, all these pale into insignificance when compared with the all surpassing love of God.  It was God’s love for humanity that raised Jesus from the dead in the first place.  This Easter we are confronted with a world full of fear, pain and grief at the corona virus and its implications.  Yet, even amid this tragedy we are often confronted with stories from around the world of great love and personal sacrifice.  Linked to this, the second aspect of the Easter story is great hope.  What had seemed desperate on the Friday was turned around by God in a short space of time.  The Christian church has endured tragedy and deliverance through every one of the last 20 centuries.  The Easter hope this Easter is that the pain will one day pass and out of His bounteous love God will make all things better, just as he did on that first Easter day.