Just because something sounds unbelievable, it doesn’t mean that it’s not true. When we hear about things that are difficult to accept, our skepticism is usually based on the limits of our experience. Epistemology is the study of how we know what we know. We can be quick to dismiss extraordinary events, but on what basis do we do so?
As we draw near to Easter once again, we are confronted with the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Bible states that 3 days after being brutally executed by the Roman authorities, Jesus rose from the dead. I was recently talking to a friend who said that they couldn’t become a Christian because they couldn’t accept that Jesus came back to life. Of course, this reticence is understandable. Humans didn’t have to wait for advances in modern medicine to know that when someone dies, it is usually terminal.
But, on the other hand, consider the endless examples of death and resurrection that we all experience, day after day. People recover from addiction, broken relationships are healed, criminals are reformed. People facing hopelessness and despair find new life.
I can’t think of many better examples of death and resurrection, than the stories coming out of our recent work in Burundi. They are truly remarkable accounts of life-changing reconciliation. People who were brought up to despise other ethnic groups, who were involved in the most terrible violence, who have harbored bitterness and hate for decades, are finding forgiveness and healing. Communities trapped in cycles of violence can now look forward to long-term peace. These remarkable stories are so astonishing that we decided to call our current appeal “Miracles of Reconciliation”.
Miracles of Reconciliation:
Every £1 you give will be quadrupled!
Burundi is a small country in East Africa. It has been torn apart by war and violence, but something miraculous is happening. Forgiveness is freeing people from decades of hate and pain.
All donations to this appeal are being matched, 3 to 1, by the European Union.
Easter is a message of hope. Hope that, however dark and difficult life might be and however impossible it might feel to imagine things getting better, after death, there is new life.
This Easter let’s remember those unbelievable experiences we’ve all had of death and resurrection. May they inspire us to be the bearers of hope and new life in every situation we find ourselves in. And, please join us in celebrating the resurrection this Easter by supporting our incredible life-changing work in Burundi. Every donation you make is being quadrupled by the European Union!
Happy Easter, from Nick Thorley, Cord’s Fundraising Manager
