Easter Greetings from Scottish Bible Society 2026

Holy Week is an interesting week. Culturally we are surrounded by Easter Eggs, and Easter cards bedecked with pictures of chicks and bunnies. This year the clocks have just gone forward and we are enjoying lighter evenings. Who knows what the weather will do as we are officially in meteorological spring!

Within the church however, we are not rushing to the joy of resurrection morning during this Holy Week. There is something important about slowing down the pace of life and taking the time to consider the key moments the gospel writers share with us as Jesus approaches his death.

It is not inappropriate to enter into the full rollercoaster of emotions that Jesus’ followers experienced that week in Jerusalem. There was confusion, questions, anger, despair and fear.

It strikes me that these are the very emotions our sisters and brothers in many countries around the world are living through on a daily basis. So many countries are experiencing the horrors of war. We now reckon that 1 in 4 of 156 Bible Societies are living and working in areas affected by conflict.

We are inspired by the faith and resilience of our colleagues in Ukraine, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, the Gulf, Sudan and Haiti – to name but a few.

We live in such a broken world. This is why all we remember and celebrate at Easter is so important. Broken, selfish, sinful humans need a rescuer. Not so we will be liberated from political oppression, but so we can be forgiven our sin and reconciled with the living God. Our Saviour has so identified with us that he entered the full expression of human emotion and suffering.

So as we journey towards the joy and hope that the resurrection of Jesus brings us, let’s not be afraid to sit a while and reflect on the pain and suffering that he went through to secure our freedom. And may those moments of solemnity this Holy Week lead us to a deeper gratitude for all that Jesus has done and to a deeper, more exuberant joy when Sunday comes.

All of us at SBS wish you a thoughtful and blessed Easter.