An Easter Message

from the Bishop of Beverley

You may have read Helen Waddell's account of Abelard and Heloise. In the story, Abelard's servant Thibault tries to explain to Abelard the meaning of Jesus' death. Thibault explains that Jesus is with us in every moment of our suffering. Abelard is perplexed and asks: "Thibault, do you mean Calvary?"

Thibault replies that that is only a piece of it, the piece that we saw in time, just like seeing the sawn-through middle of a tree.

Thibault continues: "That dark ring there, it goes up and down the whole length of the tree. But you only see it where it is cut across. It goes up and down the whole length of the tree. That is what Christ's life was: the bit of God that we saw".

There is a danger that we stop at Good Friday and see only the Tree of Life, as it were, sawn through the middle. Easter Day confirms that the victory Jesus won on Good Friday is a victory that is always true. The rings of the tree are not just for one moment in time, Good Friday. The rings of the tree run all through life, all through history.

That is the promise of Easter Day.

+ Martyn Jarrett