Christians have just celebrated Easter, the most important Christian festival.
It tells us of Jesus’ death and suffering, and his rising from the tomb, defeating death forever.
My five-year-old godson is getting to grips with these stories.
His mother sent me a video of him turning his lunch into a cross, poking holes in his cucumber to represent the wounds in Jesus’ hands and feet, and asking me why Jesus died on the Cross.
I told him that the story is about evil.
Jesus came to show how to live a good life, and people felt threatened by it.
And so they destroyed him.
I told him that the story is about love.
Jesus shows how much God loves the world.
And he shows what God’s love is like.
It is a generous love, a love that never counts the cost.
And I told him the story is about hope.
God became human and was like us in every way: not just good times, but bad times as well.
‘Tears and smiles like us he knew,’ as the Christmas carol reminds us.
He died like us, and the Christian faith is that we will rise from the dead like him.
Easter turns the whole world on its head.
It’s a lot for a five-year-old to understand.
It’s a lot for anyone to understand.
It’s the story we tell, week by week, year by year, and it is on offer for anyone thirsty for good news.
Fr Sam Tanna-Korn is the Rector of St Paul’s Church, Reading Road, which meets on Sundays at 9.30am
