In the bustling landscape of 21^st life, the emphasis often lies on individual experiences. However, the essence of life truly flourishes within community. As millions of people around the globe approach Easter there are lessons to be drawn out of the Biblical narrative that are useful regardless of our faith stance. As we delve into the depths of Easter's significance in 2024, let’s reflect on the trilogy of days—Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Day—to unearth the profound truths that can shape our communal and personal narratives.

Good Friday beckons us to the sacred act of kenosis—the self-emptying- that the crucifixion of Jesus speaks of. In giving himself up to death, being caught between the opposing forces of Rome and its power, and the Jewish Sanhedrin with their traditions to uphold, Jesus’ recorded words to the women who wept at his death were ones that sought to bring comfort. In the unravelling of privileges and the stripping away of rights, Jesus willingly embraced vulnerability for the sake of others. Somehow, Jesus held out a beacon of hope in the midst of death. Reflecting on his death we are encouraged to release our own expectations of how life ‘should’ be, and by relinquishing the demands we place on life and others, we create space for genuine connection.

On Holy Saturday, we find ourselves crossing a threshold, in a liminal space where waiting and uncertainty intertwine. This is a day of profound introspection, where we can confront our own sense of alienation and long for new beginnings. Saturday is a day of waiting, of grappling with the tension between death faced and new life not yet embraced. This day beckons us to sit with the discomfort of uncertainty and the ache of unfulfilled promises. Within this sacred pause, we are invited to embrace the transformative power of waiting, trusting in the promise of resurrection that is just beyond the horizon.

Finally, Easter Day dawns - a day of resurrection. In the resurrection, we witness the reshaping of the future. Death, once deemed futile, becomes the portal to liberation and the anticipation of humankind's potential. Easter challenges us to live an upside-down life—one that gives more than it keeps. Resurrection can take many forms – renewing a relationship that has been fractured, finding health again after a long illness, moving to a new neighbourhood, stepping into that new role or job, expanding our circle or friends. Easter Day speaks to us of the world that is full of possibility and potential, merely waiting for us to reach out, step forward and embrace.

In the tapestry of Easter's narrative, there is an intricate interplay between individual revelation and communal experience. It is within the embrace of community that the individual encounters we have with the divine (however you define that) find their fullest expression. So, as we explore the depths of Easter's mystery, let’s carry with us the profound truths that have been unveiled—a testament to the transformative power of love, the sanctity of waiting, and the boundless hope found in resurrection.