What does it mean for Easter to appear so close to the Assembly
elections this year?
It is, in my view, an opportunity to ask ourselves
what the world would look like if God's kingdom was fully present on
earth. How would it be if the risen Christ was Lord in this province?
Well,
we would probably realize first that our central allegiance is to God,
and not to any particular political or cultural group. Not that there’s
anything wrong with different political perspectives or cultural norms.
They can be good. But there is a higher allegiance for Christians.
Anything else is secondary.
We would also focus on the things that
make for peace. 'Peace be with you’ were some of the first words of the
risen Christ. Reconciliation, forgiveness and peace are some of the
keys to the future in Northern Ireland. Those things don’t change. They
just have to be lived, and lived at great cost.
We would also
create a society where the voices of the poor, and the poor in spirit,
are heard above those of the powerful. The people most like Jesus on the
cross would be cared for: victims, the abused, those who are bullied
and mocked, those who are penniless, those who are weak and in pain, and
those who suffer unjustly. Our whole value-system would be turned
upside down, so that the powerless would be lifted up.
That is
what God wants for us: lives characterized by love and sacrifice, in a
society driven by the same values. We will never see God’s Kingdom
perfectly fulfilled this side of eternity, but we as Christian
individuals and communities can lead the way.
And let’s pray towards an
Assembly that will espouse those values, voting carefully, thoughtfully
and unselfishly in May, with minds formed by the mind of the risen Jesus
Christ.
A Happy and holy Easter
+ Harold, Down & Dromore