21 April 2025 – Easter Monday

We strive to share the Easter Gospel with a world which has grown wearily sceptical of religious faith and experience. A  recent international survey conducted by the Pew Research Centre in Washington confirms this. The think tank surveyed population samples in thirty-six different countries including the United Kingdom. There were two startling results concerning the impact of religion on the nation.

Firstly, 51% of  the people in the UK thought that religion was not helpful to society. The UK was second only to the Netherlands in this negative view of religion. Secondly, 57% of people in the UK thought that religion promoted intolerance. Here the UK was second only to Sweden where 62% thought religion promoted intolerance.

Both of these results indicate how sceptical people in the UK have become with regards to religion. This is an idle tale which has negative consequences for the nation! In this context, the witness of the women returning from the empty tomb is encouraging. ‘These words seemed to the disciples an idle tale and they did not believe them.’

Their disbelief doesn’t change the truth of the women’s report. The women remain silent in the face of their scepticism. More than that, they are  not inclined to change their minds and agree. Their silent witness is moving for it is vindicated in due course by the appearances of Jesus to Cleopas and his companion, the disciples in the Upper Room, the fishermen on the beach and to Paul on the road to Damascus.

But for the moment, they have to face the dismissal of their report as an idle tale which they carry silently but hopefully. The nation’s scepticism has no power to make us change our minds. Our best response is this hopefulness, silently and steadfastly  nourished within us.

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