From the Chaplaincy

Easter Message

Chocolate Easter eggs? Bunnies? Is this what is front and centre of thought during the Easter season?

It’s a fair concern, and a very common one. The imagery of chocolate eggs and the Easter Bunny can easily become the most visible part of the season, especially for children. Bright packaging, treats, and games like egg hunts are fun and memorable, so it’s not surprising that’s what comes to mind first.

But those symbols didn’t originally arise to replace the meaning of Easter. Jesus’s tomb, sealed with a stone boulder, can be compared to the hard shell of an egg. Eggs have long been used as a symbol of new life, which connects to the idea of resurrection celebrated on Easter Sunday. 

While Christians do reflect deeply on the events leading up to the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the story doesn’t end in tragedy. The sorrow and heartbreak are not the final word.

Easter fundamentally points to hope, renewal and victory over death through the resurrection of Jesus, and ultimately his ascension. That’s why Easter Sunday is marked with joy rather than mourning. The movement is from darkness to light, from despair to hope, and is crowned with love.

So instead of “wallowing” in the tragedy, Christians see those painful events as part of a bigger story - one where suffering and grief are uplifted and transformed into the promise of new life, and where mankind is given a consummate example of forgiveness and love.

Hymn 171 captures the essential meaning of Easter celebration:

Let us sing of Easter gladness

That rejoices every day,

Sing of hope and faith uplifted;

Love has rolled the stone away.

Lo, the promise and fulfillment,

Lo, the man whom God hath made,

Seen in glory of an Easter

Crowned with light that cannot fade.

Wishing you all a blessed Easter and happy holiday

The Chaplaincy Team