While the recent attack in Westminster horrified us all last weekend the US Pentagon admitted an air strike over the Iraqi city of Mosul killed more than 200 civilians, including women and children. Independent monitoring groups claim this brings the number of civilian deaths due to coalition airstrikes over Iraq to 1,000. Meanwhile the tragic conflict persists in Syria while religious extremists continue to wage an obscene war in the name of God across the region.

Nearer to home, sabre-rattling in Pyongyang is bringing the Korean peninsula closer to a nuclear catastrophe while famine in East Africa has put nearly twelve million people on the brink of starvation with a further ten million at risk.

Here at home a sixty year old Iraqi man is being deported because his application for asylum was rejected on a legal technicality. Saeed comes from a religious minority and faces certain persecution if forced to return home. He came to Australia 2012 and has spent four years locked up in detention. Saeed will never enjoy the same freedom or opportunity as his brother whose application for asylum was successful.

I don’t know about you, but with these things in mind it’s hard to talk about “resurrection and life”. Yet this is precisely what Jesus does. The raising of Lazarus (John 11) speaks about the opportunity for new life in Christ. It’s a gift that is offered to us all.

But how can we sing this song of “new life” in world that promotes anything but life?

Here in my own country I am deeply saddened that that some parliamentarians promote policies that are actively committed to abolishing the Racial Discrimination Act, preventing people from a certain faith migrating to Australia and installing surveillance cameras in particular places of worship. And there are issues concerning the ongoing exploitation of the environment, the recognition of indigenous people and the vilification of the most vulnerable.

As followers of Jesus we are all called to love our neighbours as Jesus loves us. Its only when we do this can the truth of resurrection and new life really make sense.

So, today, as we receive this Good News remember to love others and to live that love out in ways that brings life to all those with whom we share this planet.