From darkness into light - a faith for the unbeliever

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Easter. What’s it all about? As thousands of us across the borough look forward to a long weekend putting our feet up and eating chocolate eggs, Rochdale Online reporter Kirsty Rigg explores the true meaning behind the prime Christian festival.

Chocolate traders and florists are cashing in, pubs and clubs are preparing for the bank holiday rush, the police are on guard for a busy weekend.

But in the midst of the commercial overkill is a story which even non-religious people can take something from.

As Father Paul Daly said, Easter is about a journey “From darkness into light, A story of triumph and tragedy, of friendship and betrayal”.

Christians everywhere are celebrating the resurrection of Christ, but even non-believers have been known to give something up for Lent, or change something in their lives or get something done they’ve been meaning to do for months, as though making a new years resolution.

For years the idea of advent and epiphany has been concreted into our activities and ways of life, and idea which is believed to have originated in the Christian faith from the story of Jesus.

Father Daly, from St Joseph’s RC Church in Heywood, pointed out that Easter is by all means a time to reflect and a time to have lots of fun, but with knowledge of why we are doing so in the first place.

He said: “The story of Holy Week is the human story which ends, as every human story must, in death.

“But because of who is the central player in this human drama it is also God’s story and so, as must happen when human cruelty comes face to face with infinite love, God gets the last word.

“That last word is light even in darkness, hope even when near despair, forgiveness flying in the face of sin, life even out of death and the one word to describe all of those is; resurrection.

He added: “Easter is not just about one man’s resurrection; it’s about resurrection possible for all of us in him.

“As an Anglican Bishop famously said several years ago, Easter is not ‘just some conjuring trick with bones’ for we don’t just say ‘Jesus rose from the dead 2000 years ago’; we say something more wonderful still, that ‘Jesus is risen’ which means that he can be known, spoken with, encountered as much today in Heywood, Rochdale or Middleton as once he was encountered on the road to Emmaus, Jerusalem or in Galilee.

Easter, with Pentecost, is about the Jesus of Jerusalem becoming the Jesus of Rochdale.”

Rochdale Online has a full listing of Easter events taking place this week.

To see the list click here