1st May 2026

In his ‘Thought’ for April 24, John pointedly remarked that we ‘rush our Easter celebrations too much’, simply wanting to get into the alleluia business right away, whereas in the gospels the Easter story is one of mixed bewilderment, doubts and even disbelief, and only then a dawning realisation that something almost inconceivable has happened. Perhaps the stories have become so familiar to us, that we feel we know what’s coming next and let them slide superficially over us, ignoring all they might have to say to us.

By chance, shortly after reading John’s piece I came across a two-verse poem by the Welsh poet and priest R. S. Thomas, who died in 2000. I was brought up short by his twist on the story of the two disciples meeting the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus. In the familiar gospel story, when they get to Emmaus Jesus evidently wants to go further but is persuaded by the disciples to stay with them, for it is evening. Thomas comments:

On a different road it is we
are for going on, but ‘Stay’
you say, contemporary with a future
never to be overtaken.

Here is a warning that today, collectively and individually, we are so anxious to be ‘getting on’, with often destructive results, rushing into ’fix-it’ wars and recklessly damaging creation, wanting to drag Jesus into our headlong rush, hoping to gain the whole world but losing our soul. In this context it is Jesus, not we, who says ‘Stay. Stop. Think. Reflect on where you really want to go.’ The future lies with Jesus, who is already here.

Keith Clements