Sermon preached by The Reverend Robert Green 12th April 2026
On 9th November 1989 the Berlin Wall was breached. After nearly 30 years suddenly it was a barrier no more. I remember it well as the following week I was due to take an Assembly at the Middle Church School in Blandford, when prior to the Assembly I was in the Head Master’s study, when a pupil came in with a piece of the Berlin Wall. She had been in Berlin that weekend. I was then able to hold up before the whole school a piece of the Wall, and quickly changed what I was going to say! The point is that it all happened so suddenly, and everything changed. What had been a barrier between two communities, between capitalism and communism, and where people had risked their lives literally in trying to climb over it, sometimes unsuccessfully, as they were shot, and plunged to their death. suddenly all were free to cross into West Berlin, and the Wall was quickly torn down. It was a spontaneous, world-changing event.
Just a week ago we celebrated an even more world-changing event as the disciples of Jesus hiding in a locked room became aware of his presence amongst them. Mary Magdalene had told them she had seen Jesus earlier, but they couldn’t make much of her story, but now they had this encounter with Him, and his first words to them were “Peace be with you”, and he showed them his hands and his side, and the disciples were overjoyed. This is followed by a second greeting, and immediately follows this up with the words; “As the Father has sent me, so I send you”. Having barely had time to realise what has happened, Jesus is sending them out to teach others. It is all about this word “Peace”. Our understanding of Peace is largely the cessation of hostilities, but that simply means it is temporary. Sooner or later someone or some group or country will want to settle old scores. Hitler was never satisfied with the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, and became determined to reinstate Germany as a world power, hence the Second World War. The Peace of Christ is radically different. The Hebrew word “Shalom”, which is still used in Greetings to this day, conveys the meaning of well-being, wholeness and completeness, and when Jesus used it to greet the disciples it meant even more, for He was sharing with them the Peace of God. As one of our blessings describes it as the “Peace of God which passes all understanding”. So when the Risen Lord Jesus greets his disciples the second time with these words, He breathed on them that they might receive the Holy Spirit to equip them to go out and tell others the Good News.
Where there is real peace countries and communities thrive. In peace time countries can work to improve the collective life of all. The economy can be improved, cultural life can flourish, better social care can give security to those who are vulnerable. If we have entered fully into the events of this past Holy Week, we will again have felt the surprise of Easter. In our Easter Vigil service on Holy Saturday, the moment of Resurrection is accompanied by a cacophonous sound of trumpets and drums and whistles before the organ comes crashing in to lead us in our first Easter hymn. It is quite a shock after a subdued opening in semi-darkness. It marks a complete change, all the quiet reflection of the last three days is over. Jesus is alive. He has risen! Alleluia! Everything changes. Instead of the dim glow of candlelight the Abbey is ablaze with light. Something has happened which changes everything, and in one way it is quite shocking.
As we acknowledge the presence of the Risen Lord and receive his Peace, we, like the disciples are commanded to spread the Good News. Now I know that not all of us are evangelists, and that is a special Calling, but each of us can set an example of Christian living, and how we react in our daily lives, and if someone notices how we behave, then we can tell them it is because I have discovered the love of God through knowing Jesus. Someone once described an Englishman’s attitude to his faith is like going to the lavatory. It is done as quietly as possible without telling anybody. Sisters and brothers let us not be reticent about being a Christian. On Palm Sunday and Good Friday there were processions of witness down Cheap Street when we were able to show the town who we are, and what our faith means to us. Who knows what effect that may have had on those who watched on either occasion.
A lady came to a church for the first time, and was not sure what it was all about until the person next to her greeted her so warmly at the Peace, that she wanted to know more, and subsequently became a Christian. May that be an encouragement to us all.