St Bartholomew’s Church, Binley

Easter Message

I was introduced to a new word recently. Well, a new, old word. The word is respair. Apparently it was used in English until the 16th century, but then fell out of use. We will all know what despair is - despair describes the complete loss or absence of hope, a deep unhappiness. Well, respair describes the opposite - something joyful, fresh hope, and a recovery from despair. It is a feeling to hang onto when things seem sad. It is good to remember that sadness will pass and respair will eventually come.

For Christians, Easter represents the ultimate basis for respair. Jesus’ disciples, the men and women who followed him for three years, watching his love and truth in action, must have experienced complete despair when he was arrested, taken away, put on trial and then executed in the most brutal way by the Romans. All their hopes and dreams were crushed as the one they loved died on the cross. Yet these same disciples would soon be going around, joyfully proclaiming that Jesus had been raised from the dead. They had seen him, met him and ate with him. They had experienced respair and this respair had completely transformed them. Their movement exploded boldly across the world and transformed it.

At Easter we retell this story and celebrate the good news of the risen Jesus. He is still transforming lives today and offers you respair. Come and hear the story, and experience the new life and hope that he offers.

Rev Jon