United Reformed Church General Secretary

Easter Greetings from the United Reformed Church!

The Revd John Proctor, General Secretary of the United Reformed Church,offers the following Easter reflection:

Everyone loves an Easter egg. Doing things with eggs is part of the season – cream and chocolate, hard-boiled and decorated, hidden and hunted down. There is a reason we make so much of eggs at Easter. They are a visible and edible reminder of the stone on Jesus’ grave. They speak of the first Easter and of what happened then.

The original stone was not quite egg-shaped. Think instead of a heavy disc, like a giant coin, able to roll from left to right, with a groove to guide its path. And Easter turns the stone, to a new position and a new angle. It turns a lot of other things too. Easter is about vindication – setting the world the right way up.

Easter vindicates Jesus. Who was this man? Healer? Prophet? Maverick? Criminal? Tragic hero? Dead loss? Easter says ‘more’ to some of these thoughts, and ‘no’ to others. Because of Easter, the cross was real but not final. At Easter, the healer overcame not only disease but death as well. The rising of the prophet Jesus speaks back to all that decays and destroys our world. Easter says that the values and beliefs for which Jesus stood and spoke are sure enough and strong enough to last. They do not die with him. He lives and so do they.

So Easter vindicates justice. It says that cruelty and anger will not have the last word on earth. When corruption and cowardice have done their worst, their worst will be undone. The hardships and hurts we humans inflict on one another shall be judged and healed. The world can be a dirty, damaging and dismal place, but its smears, scars and shadows will not endure. Easter points to a future of hope and justice. The God who raised Jesus will not abandon this weary earth. We believe in justice, in a world turned right side up, because we believe in the risen Jesus.

And Easter vindicates joy. So much in this world tests our peace of mind, makes us hang our heads in sorrow, and sours our experience of living. Easter lifts our spirit. It raises our eyes in hope, and calms our hearts when fear waits at the door. Because Jesus lives we can trust, we can work confidently for justice, we can praise, and we have right and reason to rejoice.

A world turned right way up, rolled into a new alignment. Jesus lives. Justice is coming. Joy is ours. Happy Easter!