Have you ever been surprised by life?
Perhaps in a minor way like when your football team wins a game against the odds or perhaps in more significant ways like finding out you are going to become a parent for the first time.
Surprises, by definition, reveal something that we did not previously see or know. They interrupt our way of thinking and show us that ‘things are not always as they seem’. The Easter story is, in many ways, one of surprises.
Easter is a reminder, no matter our faith background, that things are not always as they seem. What seemed so bad on Friday—an innocent man, the Son of God, brutally crucified, turned into something so good on Easter Sunday—a resurrected Saviour. What was the difference between Friday and Sunday? One difference was perspective—knowing the whole story can transform something seemingly bad into something good.
So often we judge situations and people based on what we know and what we can see—however, there is always a bigger story. Things are not always as they seem. The circumstances of our lives, the people we interact with and even ourselves are not as first appears. The Easter message is one of transformation—seeing beyond what we understand and being open to what could be.
The Easter message is at the heart of the St John of God Health Care Vision, to be recognised for care that provides healing, hope and a greater sense of dignity, especially to those most in need. It calls us to believe that things are not always as they seem and to trust in the ‘more’ that is available to all of us.
I wish you a very happy Easter, may you be surprised by possibility in this season.
