The Bishop's Letter.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 36, Issue 1, 1 April 1945, Page 3

The Bishop's Letter.

. . . 'Bishop's Court, Napier. My Dear People,— ':''■■'' ''' .'■'■""\--i : ..^ .'- : '. . .-■ iy\'' ■ This letter will reach you at East^-ti4e/aild\:yd^;it':^.:Qur'-very best wishes for the joy, of that greatest of all Feistivals. "Peace is the first great consequence of Easter," wrote Howard Chandler Robbins. "There can be no true peace m our hearts unless it is related to the Easter certainty that Jesus lives, and that m His life our best hopes and beliefs and aspirations are verified and made authentic. What peace, is therein any human labour if death can undo and obliterate the things we do? What peace is there m any human purpose, if it relates: itself to a life that vanishes like smoke? peace is there m any love, m any loyalty, m any dedication of our spirits to one" another and to truth, if life cannot be trusted with their fulfilment? Disbelief m the continuance of life makes trivial and meaningless every human exertion. But when conviction of its survival comes, as it came to the Disciples on Easter evening", when He m Whom all human hope is centred comes to His people with the solemn greeting /Peace be with you.' then His' peace is with them, and it is peace indeed." That is a long quotation, but I. dare to make it m full for I feel that it is befitting to our present-day need. Our age has so ignored God that people have become ignorant of God, His Character, His Revelation and His Promises. And it is often suffering that brings us back to learn anew the golden truths of God's love. ,* • Lent has been, I hope, for many, a pruning time when, as 4he result of our own self-examination^ we cut out of our lives all that is not truly m accord with the Will of God. Easter wiU now bring us the assurance of spiritual life." The history of Easter is that not merely of dawn breaking after the darkest of nights, but also of a breaking laughter of sheer joy, the two Disciples hastening back from Emmaus and meeting the other friends of Christ and saying, "We have seen the Lord," and hearing m reply, "So too have we." ' . » • ■ ■ ~ . < ■. . . . -■'■..' ...- j ■ .' ". ■• May tfee Peace -of God which passes all understanding be with you and yours, and especially on this Easter Day. . Yours sincerely, CRAIG WAIAPU.