The fact that the date of Easter varies from year from yearis an irritation to many in todays secular world. It means nothing to themthat it is set by the date of Passover, the commemoration of the people ofIsraels Exodus from Egypt, which itself is celebrated at the first full moonafter the Spring Equinox. This year on 21 March.
Though the date of Easter falls on a different date everyyear, it seems fortunate to me that we live in a part of the world where it isalways in spring, the season when we are reminded of the pattern of death andresurrection by the natural world. Everything bursts into new life at just thetime that we are celebrating the new and eternal life of Jesus risen from thetomb. The vivid and bright greens of the hedgerows together with the radiantyellow of the daffodils combine with the chorus of song birds to proclaim thatthe reign of winter is ended and life is bursting forth anew.
This should surely be an indication to us that death andresurrection are built into the nature of things. We see the pattern all aroundus just as we see it in all its fullness on the stage of human history in thecrucifixion and resurrection of our Lord. We should also expect to find itreflected in our own experience.
New life has burst into my life in the most wonderful wayduring the last few months as a result of my relationship with and marriage toH-J. It came after a long period of what I have described as a wilderness, aperiod of distress and sadness following bereavement.
My hope and prayer for all of us this Easter is that, evenif we feel trapped in what feels like an enduring experience of pain anddereliction, we shall have faith that love will triumph; that resurrection lifeis waiting around the corner for all of us. May we know deep within our heartsthat resurrections will follow crucifixion as sure as spring follows winter, assure as day follows night. May we know that death will not have the last wordbut that life and love will prevail.
Happy Easter.
John Wigorn: Easter 2018
