So this is my last ‘Black and White’ article ever. At the end of this term I’m off into semi-retirement, heading for the lush bush of the Great Lakes area near the little town of Bulahdelah that many of you will know from traffic-jams during Christmas holidays. Being at Newington for more than five years has been a privilege, and a wonderful sojourn – so many incredibly focused and dedicated staff, wonderfully talented and respectful students, and caring committed parents.

Easter approaches and therefore I enthusiastically end my communications with the Newington College community with an Easter message.

Easter is a far more significant season for Christians than Christmas. It’s not as hijacked by commercialism and sentimentalism and is probably a little less well known in terms of its fundamental core reality.

What trendy, digitally literate people of Sydney need to know is that Easter is a celebration of the factuality and historicity of the core Christian message that God, in the person of Jesus from Nazareth, has completed a rescue mission for us and on us. You don’t have to look far to realise that no amount of self-actualisation and ridiculously optimistic humanism is ever going to get humanity out of its mess of conflict, violence, separation and basic selfishness.

God has built the rescue bridge between Him and us and it’s all about Jesus on the Cross, and it’s all about his smashing the grip that death has upon life – ponder those things and you cannot help but be transformed.

God loves you all so much that He has, and does, enter our world to embrace us with His loving arms both in this world and the next. Believe it because that’s the truth of the matter. My parting prayer is that you all will experience the Good God’s transformation in your own lives, and in the lives of your precious children, husbands, wives and partners.

Rev David Williams
College Chaplain