A Pastoral Letter from the Most Revd and Rt Hon Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York.
As we find ourselves in the Easter season, eagerly awaiting Pentecost, I wonder what we can learn from the first disciples (unaware of what will soon happen), and their unbridled joy and enthusiasm at having their beloved Teacher back among them?
Perhaps there is a lesson here about spending time with God. By studying scripture and praying faithfully, we get to know the heart and mind of God.
This teaches us how to live and be in the church and in the world. As we strive to become more like Christ, we need to allow ourselves to be shaped by God rather than the world.
There is so much anger in the world (some righteous, much that isn’t). There is so much pain in the world, so much suffering and sorrow. So often, we see things from one perspective, and there is a lack of kindness, generosity and hospitality in what we see in others. So we need to learn to see things differently, to sing a different song.
We mustn’t be like those people who have eyes but do not see and ears but do not hear.
No. Let us commit ourselves this Easter, sure in the hope of the resurrection, to see and hear, to do kindness and mercy, to love justice, to walk humbly with our God.
Let us go out of our way to care for others and to reach out to those in need.
Let us pray without ceasing.
Let us live as an Easter people, all parts of Christ’s body working together to make God known in this world. Let us live as a people of love!
