Reflection for Easter- Renewal, Hope & Love

Easter, for me, isn’t just about chocolate eggs and bunny rabbits. Don’t get me wrong, I do love a chocolate Easter egg, but it is also a time that holds a deeper meaning—one of renewal, hope, and reflection. As I take a moment to think about what Easter really means to me, I realise it's also more than just a religious holiday; it’s a time to reconnect with myself and the world around me.

Growing up, Easter was always a fun time filled with family gatherings, days out together and Easter egg hunts. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate the spiritual significance behind the holiday more and more. It’s a reminder that even in our darkest moments there’s always a glimmer of hope, a chance for a fresh start. The disciples, as they watched Jesus on the cross, would have felt that all was lost, that it was all over. Yet the reality of Easter is the truth that from that dark moment came the most powerful new beginning for us all! Hope invaded earth, in the middle of darkness. 

One of the things I love most about Easter is the idea of renewal. The timing of Easter coincides with Spring, which feels like nature’s way of hitting the reset button. As I’m sat writing this reflection I can see the daffodils in my garden blooming, and the plants that were sleeping over winter coming back to life! Just as the flowers start to bloom and the days get longer Easter reminds us that we too can shed our old habits and embrace new beginnings. It’s a time to let go of past mistakes and move forward with a renewed sense of purpose and direction. In many ways, Jesus hit the ultimate reset button for each of us, the old order of things passed away and the new has come – the resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate victory!

Easter is also a time of introspection. It’s a chance to take a step back and think about what truly matters in life. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s easy to lose sight of the things that are most important. But Easter gives us an opportunity to pause, reflect, and reconnect with our values and beliefs.

The past year or so we have all, perhaps, become increasingly aware of our humanity; reminded daily of our fragility, our mortality, and increasingly aware of those connections that make us human in their absence.

As this Easter approaches, I’ve found myself re–reading Herbert McCabe on the Easter triduum – particularly his sermon on Good Friday, in which he emphasises and re–examines Christ’s humanity. He remarks upon how we see in the Gospels that Jesus doesn’t want the cross – especially in Matthew, Mark, and Luke – “not my will but thine be done.” He is recognisably human in the Garden of Gethsemane. He panics. He is in obvious distress.

It’s often tempting to take this route, to see Christ as most human when He’s experiencing moments of pain or distress, united with us in our suffering. Perhaps there is more reason than ever, this year, to do this. But McCabe offers a powerful, differing view of Christ’s humanity: “As I see it, not Adam but Jesus was the first human being, the first member of the human race in whom humanity came to fulfilment, for whom to live was simply to love – for this is what human beings are for.”

Christ, for McCabe, represents the fulfilment of humanity in his capacity for love. He is “the human being we dare not be. He takes the risks of love which we recognise as risks and so for the most part do not take.” McCabe goes further on the risk of love in separate sermons in God Matters, at one point remarking that: “If you do not love, you will not be alive. If you do love, you will be killed.”

Love, of course, makes us vulnerable to loss, to heartbreak. There has been too much of that of late, and I suspect it won’t go unremarked upon in sermons across the land that we celebrate this time of victory over death at the same time that the worst of a deadly pandemic appears to be behind us. As we emerge renewed from another Easter season, my hope is that we emerge more like Christ – more willing to take the risk of love.

This Easter, take some time in the presence of Jesus, and allow Him to refresh you and be reminded of all that He has done in your life. 

But perhaps the most powerful aspect of Easter is the message of hope it brings.

In a world that often feels chaotic and uncertain, when we turn on the news and see darkness and fear across our world, Easter reminds us that there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. It’s a reminder that even in our darkest moments, there’s still reason to believe that things will get better. It’s a message of resilience, strength and an unbreakable love that I find incredibly comforting, especially during challenging times.

As I sit here reflecting on Easter, I feel a sense of gratitude wash over me. Gratitude for the incredible reality of the victory Jesus accomplished on the cross and through His resurrection for us, for the beauty of nature, for the love and support of my family and friends, and for the opportunity to experience life in all its ups and downs. Easter is a time to count my blessings and to remember just how fortunate I am to be alive, and to know and love Jesus. 

Easter is a time of renewal, reflection, and hope. It’s a time to be reminded of the truth of Easter, embrace new beginnings, to reconnect with what truly matters, and to find comfort in the knowledge that brighter days lie ahead. So, as I celebrate Easter this year, I’ll do so with a heart full of gratitude and a renewed sense of optimism for the future.