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This year, once again, I need Easter. Truth be told, I think everyone who believes that Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again is in need of Easter. Yet this year, I need Easter due to the fact that, back in January, my mom left this world and entered into everlasting life. With that in mind, I express thanks to all those who have reached out to me and my family in the days and weeks after her passing. Your thoughts and prayers have been an immense source of comfort and solace.

As a priest, I stand at the altar week after week, celebrating with people the sacred mysteries of our faith. They are just that—they are mysteries. I often say to people, especially when dealing with them in their times of grief and loss, that when they ask me the question of why, I tell them that the mysteries of God are meant to be pondered; they are not meant to be solved. As I stand, week after week, celebrating the sacred mysteries, I feel a stronger connection to the prayer of the Church, especially when we say: “And with those who have served you in every age, we lift our voices to proclaim the glory of your name.”

Celtic spirituality believes that there are places where heaven and earth meet, and they call them thin spaces—all that prevents us from seeing people on the other side of this thing that we call death is our sight. Standing at the altar and receiving the Eucharist has always been just such a thin place for me. Now, it is more so than ever before. In the immediate weeks following my mother’s death and burial, the most comfort, the most happiness, and the most contentment I had was—and still is—when I stand at the altar to celebrate the sacred mysteries. It is then, at that moment, that we do indeed join with those who have served God in every age, and not only join with them but become one with them. Such a great cloud of witnesses—and with such a cloud, there is great comfort.

This year, Easter will be different. But it will be wonderful at the same time, knowing that as we stand and behold the one who has wounded hands, wounded feet and wounded side, from those wounds we are given healing of not only physical but also spiritual and emotional wounds, which we ourselves have.

This year, as we all celebrate Easter, may we know that it is not only those whom we can see and do see that we celebrate with, but also those whom we cannot see. All that prevents us from seeing them is our sight, but we know that just as we are here, they are there.

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When I think about that—the complete misuse of the name of Jesus, I wish I was surprised that we’ve ended up here. We’ve been watching the message of Jesus get warped and twisted throughout the centuries. It’s not surprising that millions of people are convinced that to hate is to be holy. However, it doesn’t make it any less devastating. I did not envision writing in condemnation of fascism, genocide, and patriarchal oppression in my adulthood, but here we are. Navigating the very real possibility of destruction on a global scale. Again.

Many people may think this fear is an overreaction. But oppression thrives when privileged people remain complacent. We cannot sit idly by and hope for the best. The prophets would demand more of us. Jesus requires more from us.

I have spent most of this Lenten season sitting with this grief, lamenting the destruction of a connected society, longing for a missing sense of empathy and compassion, crying out to God for help. I have been using Lent for Lent’s purpose—wandering in the wilderness as I wait for Christ to come. And I believe He will.

As Easter approaches, as we make our way out of the wilderness of Lent, I must believe in the promise of resurrection. I must trust that God plans to breathe life back into all the souls that have accepted defeat. I need to hold onto my God who seeks justice and lifts up the downtrodden, who is angry on behalf of the oppressed. Because if I don’t, if there won’t be a resurrection of empathy and connectedness and humility, then what is there left to believe in?

Easter is the way out of the death we’ve been living through. Easter promises a life worth living, where every human being is loved, cherished, and respected. That means our work, during Lent and beyond, is never in vain.

Easter is a reminder to keep fighting, to keep declaring the justice of Christ in the face of injustice. Easter is a reminder that there is a God who lives—who is living for us and with us as we navigate the responsibility of being Christ in a world that’s trying to use, abuse, and kill him. Easter is the moment we cling to as we hold out hope that this madness can be turned around and that the true God of peace and love can be known once again.

I pray you hold onto hope this Easter Season. It is the posture that will spur us toward action, that will bring us together to fight the evil that threatens to take away our humanity, that will bring us to the beginning of a new day.

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In our activities here at St. John the Evangelist, we are guided by the Anglican Church Calendar, as each holy event is marked and celebrated in accordance with its respective time and church season throughout the year. We endeavour to integrate those of a more secular nature simultaneously. For example, the season of Lent is fast approaching, and already we are preparing for the annual Sausage, Bean, and Pancake Supper, scheduled for March 4th—on the eve of Ash Wednesday, March 5th.

On Tuesday, February 11th, after helping the Men’s Club with a successful chicken dinner takeout on February 8th, the ACW ladies squeezed in a little Valentine’s celebration alongside the regular meeting—because at St. John the Evangelist, we acknowledge the value of integrating play and work with prayer. As the great American humourist, Evan Esau, espoused, “All work and no play made Jack’s wife a rich widow.”

As I write this article, we have just emerged from a series of slides covering Canon Jotie’s 2015 Holy Land pilgrimage to Israel and Palestine.

As we watched, enthusiastically engulfed in his journey by means of a screen—it was phenomenal in itself—a seemingly unbelievable, out-of-reach experience. But for him to have actually walked through those centuries-old shrines and temples had to be not only educational and spiritual but also an unforgettable experience of a lifetime.

Leaving much to digest, today we returned to our current Bible study, focusing on the Book of Luke.

On February 16th, the congregation, both young and old, assembled in our place of worship to be a part of the Christingle Service—a service symbolizing God’s gift of Jesus to us as the Light of the World. Our Confirmation Candidates played a significant role in the production of this liturgy. At the foot of the altar, Canon Jotie used the analogy of an orange—round like the world—with four accessories as a motif to demonstrate the best gift of all:

• A candle, representing Jesus, the Light of the World.
• A red ribbon, representing the blood of Jesus.
• Dried fruit, representing the fruit of the earth.
• Four sticks, representing the four seasons and four directions.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father in Heaven.”

-Matthew 5:16.

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1958

A bump in a coal mine in Springhill, Nova Scotia, kills 75 men. The tragedy moves Anglicans and other Canadians to respond with assistance for the stricken families. As a result of this experience, the Church recognizes the need for an efficient process to channel assistance quickly in situations of emergency. One year later, the Primate’s World Relief Fund was established by the Anglican Church of Canada’s General Synod, named for the Primate, or Archbishop of Canada.

1969

The organization becomes the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund, reflecting the agency’s maturing program focus and philosophy. PWRDF comes to see that deeper, long-term development needs are strongly connected to suffering caused by natural or human-provoked disasters. Even more significantly, PWRDF realizes that people who experience these problems first-hand are in the best position to develop long-term solutions.

1970s

PWRDF commits to addressing long-term development needs and to working in partnership with local communities and organizations. During this decade, PWRDF also recognizes the need to engage Canadians in the issues of tackling injustice.

1980s

PWRDF becomes very active in working with refugees, and in 1984, the Refugee Subcommittee and the Refugee Coordinators Network were both established. PWRDF builds a strong program for the support and advocacy of uprooted peoples, including refugees, internally displaced populations, and migrant workers—internationally through relief and development programs, advocacy, and monitoring of human rights, and in Canada through networking and education.

1999

PWRDF mandates a national Youth Initiative to engage young Canadians on social justice issues, leading to the formation of the PWRDF Youth Council and justgeneration. This movement is led by a group of youth and young adults representing ecclesiastical provinces of the Anglican Church of Canada, as well as ecumenical partner organizations. Their role is to connect the work of PWRDF with youth and young adults in communities across the country.

2022

A Task Team of staff, board members, and volunteers from across Canada is selected. This team is given the goal of identifying a compelling name –a name that better reflects our work and one that would sustain our work into the future. In these and other discussions with stakeholders and staff, one dominant theme emerged: partnership.

•PWRDF is all about partnerships.

We partner with local organizations who carry out the work that you support – life-giving work that improves food security, champions gender rights, provides training on conservation agriculture, and creates income opportunities.

•We partner with membership organizations that allow us to be part of a larger network. These include the Anglican Alliance, the ACT Alliance, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, KAIROS, Cooperation Canada, among others.

•We partner with funding agencies, including Global Affairs Canada, businesses, and a growing number of private and family foundations.

•We partner with the Anglican Church of Canada, Anglican dioceses, spiritual ministries, and ecclesiastical provinces through their bishops and their PWRDF Representatives, who support our programs and invite us to spread the good news of PWRDF at synods and other meetings.

•We partner with parish representatives, clergy, and countless volunteers in the pews across the country, who share our stories and engage others in our work.

•We partner with our generous donors, without whose support none of our partners’ work would be possible.

This theme of partnership, or accompaniment, is woven throughout the Bible, but the task team was drawn to the story of the road to Emmaus. Days after Jesus died, the disciples were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus, still grieving their loss. As Luke writes, the resurrected Jesus came alongside them, but they did not know it was him. Jesus travelled with them and then accepted their hospitality to dine with them. In the breaking of bread, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. When we walk alongside one another, Jesus accompanies us. We are strengthened and comforted and recognize Jesus when we share in his feast.

As we walk alongside each of our partners, supporting, listening, and sharing with one another, we embrace and embody the hope of a better world.

2024

A new name was selected:

Alongside Hope: Anglicans and partners working for change in Canada and around the world

I encourage you to visit the website to learn more about the history and work of Alongside Hope: https://alongsidehope.org/

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Speaking of gifts… in a recent pre-baptism session with a young couple, we discussed the Rite of Holy Baptism, as it’s set out in the Book of Alternative Services. I hadn’t met the couple before, so I didn’t want to make any assumptions concerning their church background or their understanding of the sacrament of baptism. These conversations can at times be awkward, and so I was more than a little relieved that they were receptive to having these preparatory conversations. Turning to the service itself, we spoke about the questions that are addressed to parents and sponsors, including references to “Satan” and the “evil powers of this world.” We arrived at the penultimate question, concerning a desire to turn to Christ as Saviour: “Do you put your whole trust in his grace and love?” There was a pause, which was broken by my question: “What is grace, anyway?” At this point, there was an even longer pause.

How would you answer that question? In our churches, we sing about grace regularly. We pray for it just as regularly. But when it comes to actually explaining what we mean when we say the word, it seems that the words don’t come so easily. How can one put one’s whole trust in Christ’s grace if the meaning and significance of that grace remain vague?

In our halting conversation, we eventually agreed that the word “gift” was a good place to begin thinking about grace. God’s gift is what we were preparing to celebrate, and that gift certainly included the gift that they held in their arms at that moment: the gift of their beloved child.

The late Christian writer, Frederick Buechner, devoted a great deal of time to setting down theological definitions as he understood them. Many of his definitions can be found on the website www.frederickbuechner.com. Here’s what Buechner says about grace: “The grace of God means something like: ‘Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are, because the party wouldn’t have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. It’s for you I created the universe. I love you.’”

Buechner’s definition is a gift in itself. It touches on our existence, inclusion, meaning, relationship, safety, love—a string of precious gifts, really. To which, you and I might wish to add our own.

Andreas Thiel+

Rector, Parish of Salvage

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Wyatt Taylor and Jeanette House Blackwood were confirmed in the presence of God, Bishop John, the Rev’d Marie Smith, the Rev’d Deacon Ida Patey, their parents, family, and friends.

A wonderful year of study and learning resulted in the two receiving a certificate for completion of the Grow in the Spirit confirmation programme. During the session on stewardship, the children sold writing pens with the parish name inscribed on them, and they raised $382 to donate to PWRDF.

We wish Wyatt and Jeanette every blessing in their life and pray they follow the path Jesus has set for them.

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Easter and St. Valentine’s Day belong together. The first speaks of God’s love. It is so deep, wide, and unconditional that God enters human existence and even the grave so that we are restored to life and love eternally. St. Valentine’s Day speaks to the bliss of two hearts joined as one. Both remind us that it really is love that makes the world, and even the universe, go around.

Both also hint at a winter’s day. Life on this planet is not all rosy or roses. There is bleakness and thorns. We get things right, and we get things wrong. We can hate as well as love. We follow Jesus and also deny him. Good Friday precedes Easter. There is Yin and Yang.

We need reminding of Easter and also of love. We need to be awakened from deadness to life, to spring even when in the dark days of winter, to love when the heart has hardened. Left to our own devices, we would be hopeless and fill the void with escapisms.

Easter and St. Valentine’s Day say to us that there is more to this earthly journey. It can seem like death is master and love is too fleeting. But with our soul and heart awakened, we come to see that God, the Source of everything, is Life! And death can have no permanent home in God. Equally, God is Love! And love is the essence of all that is and all that will be.

Easter and St. Valentine’s Day remind us that life and love are eternal, and that winter is but a season and it, like all death and every other negative emotion and thing, will pass. What remains is life and love, which is here and hereafter.

+John, Western Newfoundland

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