In his Easter message, the Bishop of Penrith reflects on how God breathes new life into dust and dirt, making it glorious again.

In opening his Easter message, the Rt Rev Rob Saner-Haigh, who is also the Acting Bishop of Carlisle, references the poem Ash Wednesday by Jan Richardson.

Bishop Rob says: “In it she talks about how things and people, which can feel like dust and dirt, are made glorious and beautiful by what God does with them. God does amazing things with dust.”

In his message, filmed at Bishop’s House in Keswick, he goes on to focus on the despair that would have been felt following Jesus’ crucifixion – a despair which turned to joy and hope on Jesus’ resurrection.

Bishop Rob concludes: “In a world which is hurting, anxious and weary, which can sometimes feel as dirty as dust, we can say that God breathes new life into dust, making it glorious and beautiful. Even the bleakest and darkest situations cannot overcome him. Even in his own death, God defeats death and saves us. So, we need never lose hope.

“Whoever we are - wherever we have come from - there is no entrance exam or qualifying test to God’s hope and invitation. Whatever the challenges of today, God is good and can transform even the most difficult situation that we face.

“This Easter, may we know that hope of God in Jesus Christ. May we know again what God can do with dust, as today we join with the defiant and hopeful song of the church through all ages - Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!””

To view Bishop Rob’s Easter message for 2024 visit the Diocese of Carlisle’s YouTube channel.

Notes to editors

A full transcript of Bishop Rob’s Easter message for 2024 is attached below.

“’Did you not know what the holy one can do with dust?’

It’s a line from a poem for Ash Wednesday by Jan Richardson. In it she talks about how things and people, which can feel like dust and dirt, are made glorious and beautiful by what God does with them. God does amazing things with dust.

What must it have felt like on the Sabbath following the crucifixion? After all that life, energy, noise, hope? And now silence, disappointment, defeat, death? We thought this Jesus was the one to save Israel! We thought He would bring release for those who felt held captive. We thought he would heal the broken hearted. Yet, here we are, the same old problems, the same old pain. Everything has changed, and yet nothing has changed. All our hopes turned to dust.

But then, at dawn on Easter Day, Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb and finds it empty. She meets Jesus in the garden and finds that he is risen! The silence of her grief is interrupted by her joyful cry of ‘Rabboni’ and she rushes to tell others that she has seen the Lord! Hope breaks in again. Even in his weakest moment, taking upon himself all the brokenness and pain of the world, God has transformed it all. All the mess, pain and destructiveness of the world has not defeated him. As the song says, ‘Death is dead, love has won, Christ has conquered.’

In a world which is hurting, anxious and weary, which can sometimes feel as dirty as dust, we can say that God breathes new life into dust, making it glorious and beautiful. Even the bleakest and darkest situations cannot overcome him. Even in his own death, God defeats death and saves us. So, we need never lose hope.

Whoever we are - wherever we have come from - there is no entrance exam or qualifying test to God’s hope and invitation. Whatever the challenges of today, God is good and can transform even the most difficult situation that we face.

This Easter, may we know that hope of God in Jesus Christ. May we know again what God can do with dust, as today we join with the defiant and hopeful song of the church through all ages - Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!”

ENDS

For further information contact Dave Roberts, Diocesan Head of Communications, on 07469 153658 or at communications@carlislediocese.org.uk.