April showers

Spring flowers

According to the Met Office, spring began either on March 1 or March 20. Days are getting longer and, thanks to British Summer Time, evenings are now lighter. The moving forward of the clocks at the weekend brought with it the usual debate surrounding the pros and cons of the annual change from Greenwich Mean Time. This year the leisure industry weighed in suggesting that theme parks and other attractions would benefit from year round BST. Scottish farmers were not impressed.

This curious debate seemed sharper this year set as it is against the growing tension between the Prime Minister and the First minister of Scotland. As the formal process of Britain's withdrawal from the European Union gets underway no doubt other long submerged differences will resurface much as the BST question does each year. We watch and wait.

Living side by side with those of varied backgrounds and beliefs was no easier two thousand years ago than it is today.  The Roman Empire was resented by the Jewish religious elite and the general population alike. Roman governors were fearful of uprisings in the Province of Judea and acted swiftly to suppress potential ringleaders. Judea's king was concerned only with clinging to his position which was at best precarious.

Jesus posed a threat to both the religious leaders and the civil authorities of his day. His ability to draw together and inspire ordinary people was a problem for the Romans. His unwillingness to conform to the expectations of the Pharisees and Priests was alarming. He was executed by the Roman state at the instigation of Jewish religious leaders because he had the potential to upset the status quo.

Then, as now, fear and uncertain times bring out the worst in us all.