This climax of Holy Week in the Christian calendar came from Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral, Auckland. Interwoven with te reo Māori, the Eucharist is presided over by the Reverend Ivica Gregurec, the Cathedral’s Precentor. The music was provided by the Cathedral choir under the direction of Peter Watts.

Easter Reflection by Dr Emily Colgan

In the name of God, creator, redeemer, and giver of life. Amen.

There’s a really well-known story about a young girl walking along a beach where thousands of pātangaroa – or starfish – had been washed up during a storm. When she came upon a pātangaroa, she would pick it up and throw it as far as she could, back into the ocean.

She went on like this for some time, until an old man approached her and called out, ‘E Kare! Why are you doing that? Look at those starfish, you can’t possibly save them all! You can’t even begin to make a difference!’ But the little girl looked him in the eye and then bent down, she picked up another starfish and threw it as far as she could, back into the sea. ‘I made a difference for that one,’ she said simply.

Now, this story has become something of a cliché, but bear with me because it asks us to think about those deemed to be of little account and a world that is quick to turn away in indifference or give up in the face of overwhelming odds. And I want us to think with this story as we reflect on Easter Day and the events that led up to this moment. 

The gospels tell us that, like the little girl, Jesus shows concern for and commitment to those the world has deemed to be of little account. Time and again throughout his ministry, Jesus challenged the Roman empire, which favoured the rich and powerful when the majority of the population lived in abject poverty. His actions and words proclaimed a world where the first will be last and the last will be first. A world where those at the bottom of the pile – those of little account – hold a special place in God’s kingdom.

Jesus dared to suggest that the values of empire – and its elitist trappings of wealth, power, and influence – are not the values of God. Rather, God sides with those who are marginalised and oppressed, willing a world where all are able to flourish and mutually enjoy abundance of life. Unsurprisingly then, it was here, on the margins, that Jesus spent much of his time – with tax collectors, fishermen, women, those who were stigmatised because of illness, and those considered ethnically or religiously ‘other.’ It is those that the world deems to be of little account that are given priority in the divine re-ordering of society.

Ultimately, of course, the empire responded to Jesus’s vision of an alternative kingdom with execution by crucifixion. But in death – as in life – Jesus was accompanied by those on the margins. It is the women who remain at the foot of the cross until the very end. It is the Earth who holds Jesus, And because of their witness to the risen Christ, others also came to recognise that the empty tomb does not signify absence, but presence: it proclaims the resurrected Christ’s presence with us! In the weeks, months, years, and centuries that have followed, millions of people have come – in different ways – to experience something of the resurrected Christ; to experience a God who is always present and bringing newness of life. So, 2000 years on, their claim is our claim: Christ is alive and that even in death, new life is possible.

But the resurrection is more than something we marvel at; it is something that we are called to participate in. The claim that Christ is alive is a call to action. When we seek justice for those who suffer violence and death, we participate in the resurrection. When we work to reconcile damaged relationships, we participate in the resurrection. When we protect the life of a single starfish – or indeed any aspect of creation – we participate in the resurrection.womb-like, in the rocky darkness of the tomb for three days and nights, who then quakes as the stone sealing his grave is removed to reveal an empty space. And it these figures of little account – these women and the Earth – who cannot stay silent, who proclaim the good news of the resurrection, announcing that, despite all reason and logic, Christ is alive, that death is not the final word.

When we act to keep our vulnerable communities safe, when we share love with our neighbours, when we work to restore peace in the world, when we offer welcome and hospitality, when we stand in solidarity with those the world deems to be of little account, when we work towards a world where all are able to flourish and live abundantly, we participate in the ongoing resurrection.

So, the resurrection of Christ was not a one-off event that happened 2000ish years ago. Christ’s resurrection is simply the clearest example of God’s ongoing action in the world. Wherever there is death, God struggles with us to find new life – even in the face of indifference or against overwhelming odds. And this is cause for celebration; this is good news for all creation! Christ is risen and present with us. So, let us go out into the world and live that resurrection. Amen. From Church Services, 7:00 am Sunday 9th April 2023 live on Radio NZ