After his return from pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Bishop Mark Strange, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, offers an Easter message as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The message can be watched in full here and a transcription appears below.
“It’s been an interesting Holy Week,” says Bishop Mark. “I was preaching in St. George’s Cathedral, Jerusalem last Sunday for Palm Sunday. And I’ve been for most of the services of the latter part of Holy Week in St John’s, Forres. But just quietly here in Arpafeelie I thought this would be the right place to send a message to you. So: Alleluia, Christ is risen this joyful Eastertide!
“Yet, how can we be joyful? We have the ongoing war in Ukraine and in the Yemen. We are very aware of people who are struggling to find enough food to eat in parts of Somalia. We’re aware of the continued effects of the COVID pandemic. And here in our own country, we are very conscious of people who are struggling to make ends meet. Those who aren’t clear whether it’s food they need, or to prepare to heat their homes when winter returns. People who may lose their homes. There is a real sense of fear and anxiety. So how can we rejoice at a resurrection?
“We rejoice because this is not a moment for the church. It’s not a moment for the Christian fellowship to rejoice because the resurrection is for the world. Resurrection is for all people. Some recognise it, some don’t. But that doesn’t change the fact that Jesus rose, having experienced a life which included great pain, betrayal, and desertion, where his body was abused, where he was ridiculed, and where he was tempted, almost to the extent of endurance. So when we say Christ is risen, we’re saying a Christ who has experienced all the difficulties, all the pain, all the anguish, and therefore understands. And when we are freed from our sin and from our anxieties because of the resurrection of Christ from the dead, than we do shout ‘Alleluia, Christ is risen!’
“It doesn’t take away the pain or the concerns. It doesn’t take away the aggression. But it enables us to recognise and believe that the one who came to save the world does so in the knowledge of what it is to suffer. What it is to be an outsider. What it is to be fearful.
“This is not a moment for a distant God. This is the resurrection of the Godhead. This is Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, understanding us, sharing those experiences with us, and hearing our prayers and the knowledge of the pain and the joy that we feel.
“So is this a joyful Eastertide? Yes, it is. Away with sin and sorrow. Alleluia. Christ is risen!”
