MONTHLY UPDATE FROM SIMON

APRIL 2026

Dear Friends

As we approach Easter, the Middle East has become the focus of the world’s attention.  As I write, the situation seems to be worsening, with increasing levels of bombardment.   Perhaps - I dare to hope - when you read this, it will have improved.  But whatever the outcome, the cost, both human and economic, will have been incalculable.  And the ripples of the conflict will have spread all around the world.

In Jesus’ time the Middle East was largely stable, thanks to the domination of the Roman Empire.  But Palestine itself was always potentially volatile.  The Jewish people resented the Roman occupation.  They were determined to maintain their own identity.  Whenever there was a major religious festival, the Roman governor felt compelled to leave the comfort of his seaside palace at Caesarea and take up residence in Jerusalem.  It was vital that order was maintained.

So it was that in the spring of 30AD, shortly before the Jewish festival of Passover, Pontius Pilate arrived at the Antonia Fortress, overlooking the Temple.  And as his cohorts made their way through the streets, another procession came from the opposite direction.  It was led not by a military leader on a war horse, but by a peasant figure riding on a donkey.  And it consisted of a crowd of his followers, who had made the long journey with him down from Galilee.

Politics and religion were about to become tragically confused, as they so often do in the Middle East.  And it was Jesus who was both the catalyst and the victim.  Within days the Jewish leaders had organised his arrest.  And by the time he was brought before Pilate, the crowd had turned against him.  They demanded his crucifixion in place of Barabbas, and Pilate felt compelled to concede.  He couldn’t risk an insurrection.  As Caiaphas the High Priest observed, without appreciating the irony of his words, it was expedient that one man should die for the people.

In the story of Jesus’ last days, we see a reflection of the hatred and hostility that is so evident in the present situation in the Middle East.  We are reminded of the fickleness of human nature and the way in which the innocent become scapegoats and victims.  We are reminded of the capacity for violence which is latent within us all.  And we see how quickly the claims of truth and justice can be ignored when they threaten those in power.

But we also see, in a way that never fails to move and inspire us, the unquenchable power of love.  Amidst the brutality that Jesus suffered, and the pain of being rejected and humiliated, his love never wavered.  He showed no resistance to those who arrested him.  He forgave those who drove the nails into his hands and feet.  As St Catherine of Sienna famously put it, ‘Nails could not have held him fast to the cross, if love had not held him there first.’

And despite his death, and the apparent futility of his ministry, his love was vindicated.  On Easter Day we celebrate his triumph over death, and as we do so we affirm our hope that God will ultimately heal the world’s wounds and divisions and establish his kingdom of love.  Yes – there are times when that hope feels faint and we are inclined to give way to cynicism and despair.  But it is not just our own hope.  It is a hope that we share with all our fellow Christians.  And it is a hope that continues to inspire the Church today, even in the darkness places.  As the Bishop of Jerusalem has written:

‘Christ’s resurrection powerfully reminds us that our Lord was victorious over death and the grave. And just as Christ has been raised, so too have we been raised with him to a new life in the hope of that same resurrection. Through Christ’s resurrection, we have the blessed assurance of the Almighty’s gracious providence through the Holy Spirit, a source of divine power that is able to sustain us today, just as it sustained Jerusalem’s first Christians those many centuries ago.’

With my best wishes for a very happy Easter,

Simon

Quiet Garden

The next Quiet Garden afternoons will be taking place at Harting Church on Wednesday 15th April.  This will be a chance just to stop and ‘be still’.  It will begin with a short reflection at 2pm and end with a simple form of evening prayer at 4.30pm. Tea will be provided. 

Elizabethan Sussex - Harting 450 event

Join us in the Law Room on Friday 24th April for a talk on Elizabethan Sussex, which will be given by Dr Caroline Adams.  Dr Adams lives near Chichester and is an expert in Tudor history.  Her talk will help bring to life the era in which the Parish Church was rebuilt after the fire of 1576.

The evening will begin at 7pm with a recording of Elizabethan music played on authentic instruments, during which wine and soft drinks will be served.  Members of the Hampshire Recorder Sinfonia were originally due to be with us to play, but this has proved impractical, so they have kindly selected recorded music for us.  Caroline’s talk will begin at about 7.30pm.  We would love to see you there.

Faith Seeking Understanding

Our next discussion evening will be held in the Law Room on Wednesday 15th April, starting at 6pm

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