Easter Hope Penetrates Humanity’s Deepest Darkness

Easter Hope Penetrates Humanity’s Deepest Darkness

Once again, humanity greets Easter amid ongoing conflicts and the displacement of people across the globe. Many suffer in the shadow of war, others are uprooted due to strife, and some face the aftermath of natural disasters, such as our community in Wujal Wujal.

In these challenging times, it’s important to acknowledge that we all, without exception, confront our personal trials, our own ‘tombs,’ though they may not be made of literal stone. These tombs, be they broken relationships, loneliness, chronic illness, regret, anxiety, fear, or feelings of being somehow ‘different,’ are no less confining or dark.

These struggles often remain hidden as we fear the vulnerability of revealing them. We dread what might be revealed if the barriers we’ve constructed were to be removed. This concealment is driven by societal expectations succinctly captured by Anne Lamott, who outlines the unwritten rules many feel pressured to live by: “You must not have anything wrong with you…if you do have something wrong with you, you must get over it, as soon as possible…if you can’t get over it, you must pretend that you have…if you can’t even pretend…you shouldn’t show up…if you are going to insist on showing up, you should at least have the decency to feel ashamed.”

This tendency to hide suffering is not absent from church communities either. Churches, which should be sanctuaries of comfort and understanding, often become places where people feel compelled to mask their pain and present an image of unwavering faith and perfection.

Yet, the heart of Easter and the Christian faith boldly challenges this notion. It resolutely proclaims that darkness and suffering are inevitably succeeded by light and renewal. The narrative of Jesus’ descent into hell and subsequent resurrection is a profound testament to the transformative power of divine love to penetrate the deepest darkness, offering hope and liberation.

Joan Chittister eloquently reminds us that the resurrection symbolises the endless cycle of death and rebirth inherent in life. It teaches us that new life and miracles are possible after pain and loss, guiding us through our darkest moments and heaviest burdens.

Thus, as people of faith, we proclaim the message of Easter: “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed.” This declaration is not just a statement of belief but a call to recognise ourselves as people of the resurrection, empowered by the knowledge that with God’s sustaining presence, no adversity is insurmountable.

Prayerfully and Faithfully,

Mark Vainikka
Bishop, LCAQD