Alf McCreary: The world has changed enormously, but the inspiring message of the Gospel is still the same
Easter is traditionally a time of hope and renewal, and this message is needed more than ever in a dangerous world where there is so much mistrust, misunderstanding and violence.
Things were bad enough last Christmas, the previous major Christian Festival before this Easter, but since Donald J Trump took office in January as the new US president, the situation has become much worse.
In a few short weeks Trump has significantly disturbed the world’s economic order with his controversial tariffs which the vast majority of economists believe will create even more upheaval, and which will rebound on the very US citizens whom the president claims he is aiming to help.
Trump’s foreign policy reveals that he and his advisers have little or no knowledge of the complexity of global politics, and the situation in Europe and the Middle East remains distinctly worrying.
The White House bullying of president Zelensky in the full glare of the cameras and microphones was brutal and appalling, and it is clear that Trump will favour the monstrous Putin in any approach to the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire.
This seems even more likely as Putin drags his heels about a settlement while he continues to murder innocent people in Ukraine, and Trump does nothing about it.
Trump’s intervention in the Middle East may also prove disastrous while Israel continues its savage attacks on so many innocent people in Gaza.
His suggestion for a clearing out of Gaza to make a playground for the rich is disgusting, and will stoke up further tensions in a region where extreme violence is matched by the fear, hatred and uncertainty it creates.
Nearer home another new order is emerging and political leaders in Brussels, Paris, Berlin, London and elsewhere are underlining – in my view realistically – that the Europe we have all known throughout our long and not so long lives, is gone.
The danger is that no-one has any idea as yet about what a new Europe might look like.
President Trump’s policies are worrying enough, but the language which he uses is also deeply offensive. Traditionally we expect the incumbent of the White House to speak in measured tones but Trump is patronising and insulting, and his acolytes, including vice-president JD Vance, are not much better.
Given such a grim background it is difficult to see any silver linings in the dark clouds.
Nevertheless the Christian Easter message is one of hope, even if we find this difficult to find in our hearts.
In the 12 months since last Easter, some of the main churches have faced immense difficulties, and not least the Church of England.
The former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Justin Welby took early retirement because of the mishandling of child sex abuse issues and he made a badly misjudged speech in the House of Lords shortly afterwards.
Then it was revealed that the Archbishop of York Dr Stephen Cottrell had also failed to deal firmly enough with another case involving a cleric accused of sexual misconduct, and a cloud continues to hang over the Church of England while it tries laboriously to find a new Archbishop of Canterbury who can move it towards some kind of healing.
Christianity poses great challenges morally and socially to those who claim to be the faithful, and when its leaders make major mistakes, this makes the challenges all the more difficult.
When things go wrong, the critics of Christianity are given the opportunity to say “ I told you so”, and this encourages non-believers not to darken the door of any church.
It was GK Chesterton who noted sagely that “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.”
On a positive note, however, there are leading figures who give Christianity a good name, and no-one more so than King Charles.
Like his mother, Queen Elizabeth, he has a deep Christian faith which he continually displays to a public which recognises his courage, sincerity, kindness and vision in a world where these attributes too often seem in short supply.
He also has the utmost sympathy from everyone in battling with his cancer condition.
Two days ago King Charles and Queen Camilla were in Durham Cathedral to dispense the Maundy Money. I visited Durham last Christmas and was reminded that its ancient cathedral remains a wonderful testament to the survival of Christianity, and also of the important and continuing role of faith in our society.
Our churches of all denominations are still places where people can go to share the Christian message, as well as providing space where individuals can pause for a while to reflect perhaps on the loss of a loved one, or to seek strength to carry on with their own lives.
There is a popular view that Christianity is in decline in the developed world, but it is thriving elsewhere all around the globe, and it still remains the world’s most popular religions. Like Mark Twain, rumours of its demise are greatly exaggerated.
Churches also are places where the entire community can give thanks for the heroism of the past and honour those who died or were badly injured in defending the best of our way of life.
Such a ceremony will take place in St Anne’s Cathedral next month to celebrate VE Day at the end of the Second World War.
This weekend people from all denominational and cultural backgrounds will crowd into churches to celebrate the Easter message of hope and resurrection.
The world itself has changed greatly over the past 2,000 years and more, but thankfully the inspiring message of the Gospel stays the same. Happy Easter everyone.
l Alf McCreary is a former religion correspondent and longstanding writer for the Belfast Telegraph. He is also author of ‘Keeping the Faith', published by Messenger Publications