|PIC1|In the familiar Easter story when the women come to the tomb where Jesus has been buried and find it empty they are told they are looking for him in the wrong place!

They are to look for him in Galilee - the place where he had lived and preached and where he had shown people how the love of God could transform their lives.

It was the place that was filled with memories of him and where people had responded to him - often to the consternation of the authorities.

Easter today is no different. It is about finding the signs of God's love in very ordinary places, where people bring light and love and transformation into the lives of those who struggle in their living; where people push for justice and peace in the world; where people embrace us in our humanity and break through the neat labels that we use to separate us from others; where people cherish the environment that sustains life on our planet.

For all of these are about life, not death; about hope, not despair; about love, not apathy.

It is important we do not get distracted, looking in the wrong place for signs of the risen Jesus.