Easter Message From the Rector

Message from The Rector
Easter Hope

Easter is a time of hope in the true and affirmative sense.  In casual conversation when we use the word ‘hope’ it is often in a way which suggests doubt or wavering uncertainty. ‘I hope I can make it, I hope to see you’.  In terms of faith, hope is certain.  Hope is eager anticipation and a firm acknowledgement that, ultimately all will be well.
It is with hope that we look ahead with confident expectation of something good.  Hope also calls for us to be patient, reminding us that the fulfilment of hope lies in the future.

One of my favourite London pubs is the Anchor and Hope in the Cut, near Waterloo.  It and other similarly termed pubs get their name from a line in in the Bible in the Letter to the Hebrews which states, ‘We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul’.  This text is also the source of inspiration for the Mariner’s Cross familiar to sailors.  This is a stylised cross the lower half of which is shaped like an anchor, and it is a reminder that hope keeps us anchored.
Hope does not mean that we know what lies ahead of us, nor what is in store for our lives, it means that we trust we can deal with whatever happens.  With hope we can maintain an optimistic outlook, even when things go wrong.  Our life will still have its stresses, personal tragedies, and disappointments, but with hope we will not be overcome.
St Paul tells us that ‘our hope is not in vain, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts’, as we approach Easter, that time of great hope, may I wish you a hope-filled time remembering that as long as we have hope, we have a future.

With God’s love and blessing, Fr David