WHAT does Easter mean to you? Holiday? Family? Chocolate?

Whatever it is, for millions of Christians around the world it is all of those things but much, much, more. It is the very centre of what they believe in. It is a celebration of sacrifice, death, resurrection, new hope, new life and forgiveness but most of all a message of love.

The weekend of Easter starts with Jesus going, willing, to the cross to die that we might be given a reward that none of us deserve. It finishes with a victory over death with Jesus being raised from the dead. Yeah!

Christians are often asked why is it called Good Friday, if Jesus died such a cruel and painful death on the cross? Simple. Jesus gave His life that each one of us might have a real relationship with Him and thus a more abundant life. The Bible tells us (John 3: 16) that “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that whoever believes Him will not perish but have eternal life.” What a promise!

I hear some say, “That it is all fantasy, nonsense. God doesn’t exist and if He did, why would He allow such evil in this world?” No one knows the full answers to that last question. But that is where faith, the unshakeable belief in the fundamental truth of God’s Word, as given to us in the Bible, comes in. I see a world, that denies God himself, and then they ask why is there so much evil in it. Perhaps it’s because we exclude Him from our lives, our schools and society.

Society questions whether His rules for living a good life apply in this day and age. What is sin anyway? If it feels good do it. To a serial killer, killing feels good but that doesn’t make it right. It has been asked, “If there is a God, why doesn’t He wipe evil off of the face of the earth?” Perhaps, because if He did, there would be no one left by teatime. Even Christians are not perfect! So, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised when God, being the gentleman that He is, steps aside and leaves us to create our own messy, mixed up and evil filled world. Yet in spite of all this God has given us a gift through Jesus. A gift of love, forgiveness and hope for whoever wants it.

Thelma Hanlon, Senior Pastor, Father’s Heart Church, Andover.