Diocesan News08 Apr 09

Bishop of Derry's Easter Message

2009 Easter Message

Rt Revd Ken Good, Bishop of Derry & Raphoe

A Hope that Replaces Fear

In a recent conversation with a successful businessman, the financial and banking crisis was once again the topic for discussion. One of the key observations of this hard-nosed but astute entrepreneur was, 'You realise that one of the things this crisis is doing is moving spirituality to centre stage again.' I think he is right.

The climate of self-confident assuredness and the financial optimism which for some years has been taken for granted in many a social circle (though by no means in all), has now been replaced by a feeling of anxiety, of uncertainty and of concern about the future. The foundation on which futures were being built has been revealed to be much less reliable than we have chosen to believe. So where can we turn to now? What are we to do with these fears? Where are there grounds for hope?

In Mark's account of the Easter story, the ending seems somewhat abrupt and even interrupted, concluding with the words, 'for they were afraid…' Standing at the empty tomb, the disciples’ confused emotions lay somewhere between terror and amazement. In a matter of a few hours they would come to realise that the resurrection could indeed transform their fears and anxieties into hope and confidence about the future, but they hadn’t quite got to that point yet.

The message of Jesus' resurrection, of the triumph of life over death, of the replacement of fear by hope, may find some of us in that in-between place of not quite being sure of what to do with our anxieties and concerns. We somehow know that big life-questions are being asked of us in this current climate of uncertainty, and we sense that spirituality may need to be brought centre stage again if we are to find some hopeful answers.

May this Easter be an opportune moment for all of us to see our fears replaced by hope, as we allow space for some spiritual questions to be asked and to be answered.

ENDS