Good day Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Again we mark the time of today as Easter time, a time of promise and hope, a time of light against all darkness.

John's Gospel begins by acclaiming the divinity of Christ- "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it." Our Lord Jesus is the light of the world, the light that will always shine brightly against whatever darkness we might be experiencing, a darkness of fear and hurt and lack of understanding. There is no concern of ours that eludes the illuminating presence of the risen Jesus, no burden that we face that escapes the loving activity of Christ. The lighted path unto God's eternal way is guided faithfully by our Lord Jesus. Darkness in the presence of Jesus is transitory and temporal.

The resurrection of Jesus brings an eternal flame of light into a world fractured in many ways. This light enables us through the gift of faith to see a future that God can alone bring about, a light favoring life against all forces of death and decay, a light that escapes the clutches of whatever darkness may present. 

The prophet Isaiah foresaw this radiance that is able to reach us even in our darkest moments (Isaiah 60:19-20)- "The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you by night; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun shall no more go down, or your moon withdraw itself; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended."

God by the light of Christ Jesus guides us into the way of peace and hope, as Isaiah adds, "to give garland instead of ashes; the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit" (Isaiah 61:3). This praise reveals that we have been clothed with the garments of salvation, covered in the robes of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). And in this springtime, the prophecy of Isaiah echoes throughout: "For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all nations" (61:11).

Keep the faith, be of courage and conviction, trust in the LORD! Pastor John