Easter Monday 13 April 2020

I do like a bit of trivia, so here is some Bible Trivia for a Monday morning. What is the most commonly used phrase in the Bible? Answer: ‘Do not be afraid.’ How often is it used? Answer: 365 times. That’s once for every day of the year. Perhaps we are allowed to be afraid once every four years! That aside, perhaps God is trying to tell us something quite important.

Easter has come and gone, so what is different? The world and its problems seem to be the same today as they were on Saturday. What has changed? What has changed is that we can now choose to face the world with our Easter vision in place. On that first day after the Resurrection, the disciples of Jesus could have decided that little had changed in their world. The Romans were still in charge, most people continued to face grinding poverty and hardship, illness and death still lurked around every corner. To make matters worse, the followers of Jesus were in deep trouble with the authorities. They probably lived in fear of their lives. For many people of the time, the future was uncertain and their grip on life was precarious. There was much to be fearful about. So, what had changed? Christ had risen, that was what had changed. They had found a new hope. The powers of death and destruction had been disarmed. Love and life had triumphed.

We too live at a time when there is much to be fearful about. In many respects there is little that is different from 2000 years ago. Just as then, though, God still speaks to us saying those same words, ‘Do not be afraid.’ Do not be afraid because I have redeemed you. Do not be afraid because I am with you. Do not be afraid because I love you. Do not be afraid because there is nothing in this world or in the next, not even death, that can separate you from My Love and Mercy.

In some ways it is the same old tired and fear-filled world that you will see as you look out your window this Monday morning. Seen through the eyes of Easter faith, though, it is a completely transformed place.