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The Anglican Church in Tasmania Search |
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An Easter message from Bishop John |
Bishop's Easter reflection 2006The hardest word What is the longest word in the world? I am told it is Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch This word is actually a name for a Welsh town and translates as, 'The church of St Mary in the hollow of white hazel trees near the rapid whirlpool by St Tysilio's of the red cave'. I do not know about you, but I did not get the correct answer! Try this question: What is the hardest word in the world to say? This question, I answered correctly. The hardest word in the world to say is, 'Sorry'. Why do you think I got this answer right? I believe I got this answer right because I know in my own life how hard it is to say, 'I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?' Sometimes we need the person we have wronged to take the initiative to help us to get to the point of saying, 'I'm sorry. Will you please forgive me?' You may remember Pope John Paul II visiting the prison cell of the man who had tried to assassinate him. The Pope took that step to provide a way to re-establish relationship with him, to create opportunity for the 'hardest word in the world', 'I'm sorry. Please forgive me.' This initiative provides the opportunity and challenge to come together as friends in God's world. This most moving moment reflects the Pope's understanding of living out the love of God. God's love is shown supremely in God's Son coming to us at Easter on the cross and saying 'I want to re-establish relationship with you.' We then have the opportunity to respond, 'Dear God, I am sorry for ignoring and rebelling against you and your ways of love and justice. Will you please forgive me?' The Easter event of Jesus' life, death and resurrection is the story of God making every effort to reach out to us to provide us with a way back into friendship with God and with one another. At Easter we are called to respond to God's initiative in coming to us by saying the hardest word, 'Sorry, God'. Also at Easter we are reminded to initiate acts of love to people with whom we have broken relationships. In Jesus' name and by his example may broken relationships be healed through Tasmanians saying the hardest word, 'Sorry'. God bless Tasmania.
Bishop John Harrower
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