Sydney Archbishop Kanishka Raffel, in his first Easter message, has spoken of God’s love amid world crises such as the war in Ukraine.

“This Easter, it has become clear in a striking way that this world needs the forgiveness, judgement and healing that lie at the heart of the Cross of Christ,” the Archbishop said. 

“Like me, you have no doubt been horrified by the footage on our screens of Russian tanks ploughing through cities in Ukraine and apartment blocks, even hospitals, being blown apart by war.

“We cry out to God for justice and peace and ask - has God forsaken us?”

Archbishop Raffel was elected last May to lead the largest Anglican diocese in Australia, and this is his first Easter message.

... if Jesus suffered for us, will he leave us now?

“God has planted the Cross of Christ in history so that we would know, for all time, that we are not forgotten, and we are loved,” he said in the video message. “We remember that on the cross, Jesus was forsaken by God.  But this happened so that flawed and frightened people like you and me could be welcomed by God.”

“As Jesus on the Cross was shut out, our undeserving world was invited in.  Jesus’ resurrection is our guarantee that he will not forsake those who seek him. 

As one Ukrainian pastor said – if Jesus suffered for us, will he leave us now? No, Jesus is risen!  Jesus is with us, here, now and forever.”