大象传媒

Father Christopher Jamison, Benedictine Monk:

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Over the Easter weekend, we鈥檝e been celebrating the joys of new life and springtime. But Easter鈥檚 not just about new life, it鈥檚 also about seeing new hope in unexpected places. For example, imagine you鈥檇 had a bad weekend and decided to go for a walk with a friend to get away from the unpleasantness. You鈥檙e depressed because some big plans you had for a whole new life had gone wrong. But as you walk along, a stranger joins you and asks what you鈥檙e discussing. You explain that you had some plans centred round a wonderful friend but that over the weekend that friend had been arrested and summarily executed. Wow, says the stranger, but you could look at things differently. He starts to explain that God can bring good things out of bad so don鈥檛 give up hope. You find that this man鈥檚 conversation has cheered you up, so as you arrive at a pub you ask him to join you and you order pints and ploughmans all round. When the food arrives, the stranger breaks off a piece of bread and offers it to you. In that extraordinary moment, you remember the gesture and realise that the stranger is in fact your friend, come back to life. But instantly, he disappears. Then as you look back, you realise that his gentle conversation on the road had given you renewed hope. So you go back home and take up the friend鈥檚 plans again, confident that he鈥檚 still with you. This, more or less, is what Christians believe happened that first Easter. The disciples realise that the stranger on the road to Emmaus, is the risen Jesus, living proof that the story didn鈥檛 end on Good Friday. This God who accompanies people in surprising ways is the foundation of hope for millions of Christians today.