Promise and Easter Hope

In his enthronement sermon, our new Archbishop Rowan Williams, ended with this story:

'About twelve years ago, I was visiting an Orthodox monastery, and was taken to see one of the smaller and older chapels. It was a place intensely full of the memory and reality of prayer. The monk showing me around pulled the curtain from in front of the sanctuary, and there inside was a plain altar and one simple picture of Jesus, darkened and rather undistinguished. But for some reason at that moment it was as if the veil of the temple was torn in two: I saw as I had never seen, the simple fact of Jesus at the heart of all our words and worship, behind the curtain of our anxieties and our theories, our struggles and our suspicion. Simply there; nothing anyone can do about it, there he is as he has promised to be till the world's end.'

I have repeated this here, because it is such a good illustration of the results of our Easter faith. Christ is risen! And Jesus promised to be with us now, always. As I am writing this (15th March) I am conscious that the world is about to change again, it may be in a small or a drastic way, but change it will, in all the mess and muddle of international relationships. God in Jesus remains constant, in his love, acceptance and forgiveness of us. No matter what our trials and vicissitudes, God's love towards us remains constant and true. He has demonstrated that in the life and death of his Son, he has done more than we can conceive in Jesus' resurrection and he enables us to live in him now through his holy spirit. The same spirit exists to show us Jesus.

To KNOW God seems to me to be such a wonderful thing, because He gives us a new perspective, one in which we can live a life of real love. Rowan Williams ended his sermon with this statement:

'And nothing of value happens in the Church that does not start from seeing him simply there in our midst, suffering and transforming our human disaster. And he says to us, "If you don't know why this matters, look for someone who does ™ the child, the poor, the forgotten. Learn from them, and you will learn from me." You will find a life's work; and you will find rest for your souls; you will come home; you will sit and eat.'

I hope you have a very happy Easter and are filled with the Hope and promise of God with us in Jesus.

Fr Robin Coutts