From time-to-time, members within our Carey community experience hardship. One of the ways we can support families during these times is by offering meals and/or helping with transport. We have a wonderful group of parents who are on a roster to do so. If you would like to serve our community in this way please contact me and we will put you on the roster. It is not an onerous task, but with more on the roster it becomes less demanding for all involved. This way of serving the community and gives families going through a difficult time one less thing to think about. It is a practical way that we can offer support.
Drawing hope from the Easter story
The Easter story contains all the emotions common to humanity: courage and cowardice, faith and doubt, forgiveness and resentment, defeat and victory, despair and hope, love and hatred. The enthusiastic welcome that Jesus received upon arriving in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday gave way to shouts of ‘crucify, crucify’ five days later. The fear and confusion of the disciples on the Thursday night that Jesus was arrested, gave way to overwhelming grief and disbelief on Friday as He took his last breaths upon a cross. Saturday was a day of despair when the reality of the past 24 hours began sink in: their best friend had died as a criminal and the dream of freedom was over. Their past three years with Jesus had changed their lives, but now they had nothing to look forward to. But that was Saturday.
However, Sunday was the day that would change everything. By Sunday night, Jesus’s disciples were convinced that He was alive... how their lives were irreversibly changed as a result of that reality. Despair gave way to hope, fear gave way to courage, death had been defeated and hearts were changed. Two thousand years ago, the city of Jerusalem was alive with the news that Jesus had risen.
This message of hope and love is needed in every generation. The past 12 months have been difficult for billions of people around the world – including many in our own community. The Easter story reminds that us that even though things may seem chaotic and out of our control, God is still able to work towards His purposes. Who would have thought God could bring something good out of the events of Good Friday? For it seemed that God had lost control, yet sometimes, appearances are not reality.
When things appear out of control, it may well be the soil from which God causes something good to grow. In this time of anxiety and fear, may we all take comfort and draw strength from the events of that first Easter. God is in control and out of the ashes he can bring something good and restore hope.
Have a blessed Easter.
God’s peace and grace,
Gerry Riviere
Senior School Chaplain
