Having preached a message of resurrection hope yesterday, one wonders how hollow that word rings in the ears of the poor and vulnerable in society today? At the risk of sounding hopeless, and while acknowledging that, in many areas, the church is already perceived as so irrelevant to large chunks of the population we seek to reach with good news, I'm pondering whether we have reached an all time low in the UK.
How can we be all smiley and full of a post Easter glow when, today, welfare cuts will further oppress those families who most need stability and care? And how have things progressed so far that we are only now mobilising when, in fact, from today, the UK government will be enforcing its biggest April Fool in a range of austerity measures?
Is it because we have taken our eye off the ball, debating, for instance, who can hold authority in church institutions, or who can be lawfully married, or what kind of love is "legitimate"?
Isn't it the case that, in this post Easter period, the life and the hope of the risen Christ is the very word we need to hear on love and equality and justice in today's world. And this unadulterated gospel, lived out, is what will make a difference for the poorest in our communities?
Less talking, more living is what will bring the untenable and unfathomable gospel back into the focus that we who call ourselves Christians have blurred.
The Resurrection IS good news but only if we stop obscuring its hopeful message.
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