[Transcript of video]

Easter Sunday Reflection 2023

Rev. Elder Cecilia Eggleston

The MCC theme for Lent and Easter this year is “Vulnerable Together”. 

Who do we think of as vulnerable?

·    Babies and small children

·    Those who are ill or struggling to cope with life

·    Those who are caught up in natural disasters or wars

Who are less vulnerable?

·    The wealthy

·    Those in positions of power

·    Those with great physical or emotional strength 

·    Those who, in whatever society we live, have the most privilege, whether based on gender identity, race, sexuality, age, ability, social status and so on

The message of Easter reminds us that we are all vulnerable together. 

As humans, we are vulnerable together in our Good Friday moments and experiences. 

Fear comes to us all – fear of being alone, fear of failure, fear of the future, fear of the past, fearing of losing what we have

Death comes to us all, even to Jesus. 

Grief and loss come to us all. 

Money, power and position, all the advances in technology and medicine still cannot mend a broken heart.

Hope comes, change comes, resurrection comes when we recognise that we are vulnerable together, that we are responsible for each other. 

It is rare for us, as individuals, to achieve a goal, make a difference in the world or experience some kind of resurrection in our own lives, totally on our own. There is often a supportive and encouraging person who believes in us – a teacher, parent, spouse. There may be a community that gathers around us, because they know and love us. Or it may be 1000s of strangers who march together to say “Enough is enough”, because of something that happened in one person’s life. 

Jesus chose disciples and gathered followers to work together to share the good news. They were together to receive the news of Christ’s resurrection from Mary and the other women. They had shared their fears, their doubts, their grief and now they shared their joy. 

This Easter, let us be vulnerable together in our hopes and fears. Let us listen to each other, learn from each other and strive together to bring justice, hope and peace for all. Let us be part of the resurrection together. Amen