March and April 2013 issue - St Cyprian's Church

From the RectorDear Friends,Recently in the Independent Newspaper,there was a story about thephotographer Sergei Gaschak who wasone of the first people to get toChernobyl after the explosion, andsince that terrible event in 1986, he has,through automatic cameras, filmed lifein the exclusion zone, a circle with aradius of about 20 miles.There is no doubt the level of radiation ishigh, and anything in that area carries highlevels of radiation. However, at the same timehe has observed a miracle—the exclusion zonehas become the largest wildlife sanctuary inthe world, and an amazing range of creatureshave returned to the area. He has photographedWolves, otter, lynxes, and even seenevidence of bears in the area.While the animals are contaminated,the radiation doesn’t seem tohave any real effect on them. (If youput the guy’s name into Google Images,you can see some of the amazingpictures he has taken.)There is no doubtChernobyl was a terriblething, but I can’t helpreflecting—here was adisaster, a tragedycaused by humankind.3Out of it has come new life, new beauty, newhope. Mankind messed it up, nature is savingit.For me it is a good metaphor for Easter.Easter was simply a human tragedy, as Jesuswas killed by the stupidity of his own people,abandoned by his friends, nailed to a cross bythe Romans, taken to the cross because of thesin in my life. A true human tragedy. Mankindmessed it up, but God is saving. From thathuman tragedy, God brought new life,resurrection, the chance to be part of hispeople, a chance to experience the love he hasfor us, a chance to experience the beauty of thelife God gives us. He did all this as he raisedJesus from the dead.It means on Easter Sunday we can say,Alleluia, Christ is Risen. He is risen indeedAlleluia. Alleluia—he has taken our humantragedy of Christ nailed to the cross,and from that has brought new life,life in all its beauty, for each one ofus.Yours in Christ,Les