Threats and Hopes
It sounded as though the helicopter was landing on the house. The roar was deafening above the wind and rain as it passed on its course further east. Down the coast the Polish registered cargo ship was being thrown against rocks threatening the lives of those on board and also those sent to rescue them. The account of their rescue was dramatic. Thankfully those on board were rescued.
We often witness events like this when the natural world unleashes its power. It could be an earthquake or tsunami or tornado but the consequences for those affected are much the same. But lives can be shattered too at events no less devastating if not caused by storms and winds. The loss of a child who was ill, a car crash leaving many bereaved, the loss of a job and the financial chaos and despair that follows. All of these leave us in dark places. I suspect this was the experience of those who had followed Jesus and then saw him executed. Just despair. If there’s one thing Easter doesn’t tell us, it’s that these terrible events don’t matter. They do. But despair needn’t have the last word here. God raised Jesus to walk beside us in these times, to share some of the pain. And with it comes hope and new purpose. It isn’t easy to see this at the time but it is real. My prayer is that many of us will discover how God can bring us a better future. That is what Easter offers. This is why Jesus was raised.
