On the personal level Easter gives that assurance to each experience of our lives. It speaks of love and confidence to the bereaved, of courage to the troubled, the broken and to those who have lost hope. It speaks of purpose and vision to those who have lost any real aim in life. Above all it speaks of the love of God to a generation which is struggling to find lasting meaning in the complex problems of contemporary experience.

This Easter we live in a community which yearns for a vision of the future which will give a sense of purpose and direction. The Resurrection can provide that purpose and direction through the rebirth of hope and courage. Northern Ireland has come a long way in a relatively short time. But so much remains to be achieved if we are all to look forward to lasting stability and a just peace. The Christian meaning of Easter speaks directly to that yearning. It encourages us all to rise above our difficulties and the reality of our divisions. The search for political progress is only one part of the pilgrimage to peace. The real issues lie in the attitude and thoughts of ordinary people. It is there that the Christian vision of the Resurrection must give us new confidence in understanding each other, listening to each other, and learning to live with our differences. The darkness of the Crucifixion was replaced by the light and joy of the Resurrection. Let us all seek that new vision for our community as we take fresh hope in what it can be. This first Easter of a new millennium let us dare to hope that the future will hold that confidence for all the people of this island.