The technical seasonal weather bulletins tell us we are in Spring but, as I write this at my desk looking out over North Dorset it seems anything but. Let us hope for better weather as the Easter weekend approaches. For reasons, possibly unique to me I don’t know, but I never feel that my article that coincides with a major Christian celebration should be too, if at all, political. Families and friends gather; meeting up to enjoy the holiday. The last thing they need is a heavy dollop of political reading. So my column this week is a little more reflective and celebratory.
The central messages of Easter are sacrifice and hope. The sacrifice of self through the Crucifixion and the hope of better things and times through Resurrection. One of my daughters and I are not long back from a lovely Spring coffee morning held in Lydlinch in aid of the village church. The hall was decorated with flowers and delicious homemade cakes, jams, marmalades for sale. A neighbour of ours was running an egg decorating craft stall for children. Friends and neighbours were pouring the coffee, serving the cakes, washing up and making sure people were having a good time. They had spent time planning the event, making produce for it and running the event. The other week it was my joy to be the Quizmaster at a fundraiser to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of St Gregory’s School in Marnhull; a school close to my heart as our three daughters went there. My job was quite easy – set and pose the questions and provide a bit of humour and banter. It was over in around three hours but had taken a hardcore bunch of volunteers to arrange, sell tickets, harvest raffle prices, set up and dismantle. These are all impressive people who do so much to make life so much better for so many. Such tireless armies of volunteers can be found in every town and village across our communities. Many of you will have attended similar events or will do so over the Easter weekend. The people who serve on our Parish and Town councils, clean and decorate our churches, serve as School Governors, fund raise as Friends of either Blandford or Shaftesbury hospitals or Guys Marsh Prison, volunteer in charity shops, drive people to hospital and doctor appointments, organise and deliver summer fetes and Christmas fayres, who sell Remembrance Day poppies, arrange litter picks, volunteer in schools, sing in choirs, visit the lonely etc etc. This is what makes our community fabric so strong and enduring. Each and every one makes an Easter-like sacrifice of their time week in and week out. We owe them our thanks. Our Easter hope must be that they, and others like them, continue in their sacrifice of service- life would be incomprehensibly poorer without them. May I wish you and your families a very happy Easter?
