April Fool’s Day is something rather special for many people, not least advertisers and big business, who have been known to use hoax’s to attract publicity. A while ago, Burger King issued a press release on 1st April (in America I might add) announcing a new addition to their menu....the ‘Left-Handed Whopper’ specially designed for the 33+ million left-handed Americans. Apparently, the new Whopper had the same ingredients as the original, but the condiments were rotated 180 degrees for the benefit of left-handed customers. The following day Burger King announced the hoax, but by then thousands of customers had requested the new Whopper, and thousands more complained there was no Right-Handed equivalent. Which just goes to show if you do it right, people will come together for the promise of something new, and (of course) that ‘there’s nowt as strange as folk.’
April heralds not just April Fool’s Day, but Easter as well, and many will join us to celebrate this event and to hear the story, just as the children, staff and parents from St George’s school did during March as they attended Easter Alive. We even welcomed Year 3 from Minster Primary School in the last week of March. Easter as a Christian Festival can sometimes be confused with endings, particularly on Good Friday as Jesus succumbs to the Cross and is placed in the Tomb. But it’s really about new beginnings and building relationships. Jesus died that we might start anew with God. Jesus’ death repaired our relationship with Him, once and for all...and over the last year we have seen new relationships with St George’s being built as well. Perhaps this Easter might be the catalyst for new beginnings in our relationship with other local schools, with each other and with God.
Christianity has much to say about relationships. Sometimes they are broken, other times they are forged, or re-forged as is the case with St George’s. In the Church we often use the terms relationship and fellowship interchangeably. Fellowship means (at least in the Greek) ‘a partnership to the mutual benefit of those involved.’ For Christians such fellowship is derived through the mystery and privilege of God’s enabling grace. Those who believe in the gospel are united in the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ to the Father, and in the very unity of the Holy Spirit we find unity as Christians in our shared values, purposes, goals and beliefs. I pray this Easter our parish will begin a new chapter in the life of its witness to the world. I pray it can begin to identify shared values and goals while discerning God’s will for its mission to the communities it serves.
There will likely be times when we won’t all agree. Just as Paul and Barnabas did not agree in Acts. Indeed, Paul wrote the Epistles to address disagreements in the Early Church and even today the Church does not always find itself in accord. But when we work together, without judgement or anger, retribution or blame then we can move forwards. But it needs unity. Unity of mind and sense of purpose, with a clearly defined goal. Because without a goal, how do you know how to reach it. More to the point, without a goal, how do you know when you’ve reached it?
May April bring you fun, laughter, a few Easter Eggs (or more) and Christ’s peace in your hearts as you make your way in the world.
Rev Paul
