Dear Friends,

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!”

And she told them that he had said these things to her. John 20:18

Little did I think, a year ago, that we would find ourselves once again in lockdown as we embrace Easter; what a year it has been! I am mindful of the 2.67 million people who have died globally, to date, from this pandemic. Although we are making progress here in the UK in our fight against Covid-19, it is clear that we still have some way to go, before the restrictions imposed upon us can be lifted.

All of us have had to adapt to new ways of working and living. The church has been no exception—it is good to be back in church, albeit in a limited, Covid-secure way! This pandemic has forced all of us to think outside the box, our Zoom gatherings, meetings, and YouTube worship are just some of the ways in which we have embraced and responded to this new reality at Holy Trinity.

On that first Easter morning, when Mary Magdalene went to the tomb, in that moment she faced a new and stark reality—Jesus was not in the tomb. Then the news that Jesus had risen from the dead as she encountered him in the garden. She was forced to re-think everything that had gone before the tragedy of the cross, which had given way to the joy of the resurrection.

It is the joy of the resurrection, which brings us hope, even in the face of adversity. So let us embrace the joy and hope which Easter brings, that through God’s grace we may not only see the Lord, but realise that within each of us, we carry the risen life of Jesus himself. It is that life which will transform our world!

Happy Easter!

Martin