Moderator’s Easter message 2016: The shocking hope of Easter

Refugees. Environmental devastation. Domestic violence. Homelessness. Suffering. War.

Our world can seem like a non-stop headline of depressing news. It can be easy to let fear and doubt stop us from doing anything except feel overwhelmed and apathetic.

But what if the unconditional love Jesus revealed at Easter shocked us into caring?

The Moderator of the Uniting Church Synod of NSW and the ACT, Rev. Myung Hwa Park has released her message for Easter this year.

Rev. Park encourages those who have faith in the risen Christ to broadcast the Easter message of hope to a world of individuals in dire need of it.

• Watch the Moderator’s Easter message on our Vimeo channel – Download it to share in your Congregation.

Read the transcript of the Moderator’s message

Although the resurrection of Jesus is one of the most extraordinary stories recorded in the entire human history, the truth of the Easter message is only heard and understood by a heart which has faith and trust in the God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead.

There are seven billion people in our world and almost one third of those commemorate the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Christ.

Christ casts out our fears and doubts, reminding us of his unconditional love.

It is because of these encounters, we can experience a difference, a true transformation.

So this Easter, our hope and prayer is that we may experience a new hope, a new order and a new life through quiet and personal encounters between individuals and the peace and forgiveness of Christ Jesus, the risen Lord.

It is our quiet and personal encounters with the risen Lord that will help us to proclaim the hope of the Easter message for every individual in our world.

Let us proclaim the hope of the Easter message:

• For the parents who face deportation, that there will be sanctuary for them in Australia.
• For women and children sleeping on the streets because of domestic violence, that they will hear that society will not tolerate violence whether it is in homes or in the street.
• For the marginalised youth, that there will be sufficient affordable housing.
• For millions of refugees, that their crises are not forgotten and the world acknowledges that we live in one big global village.
• For the creatures, the trees, rivers, fields and air of this planet, that we take seriously our stewardship for God’s whole creation.

The day Mary Magdalene discovered the open tomb she proclaimed – “Christ is Risen!”

And today let me add, “God is making all things new for us because Christ is risen!”

May the God of Resurrection bring you hope and blessings!

The Moderator, Rev. Myung Hwa Park