Graham Albans explores the emptiness behind our achievements and suggests Easter weekend’s events might hold the key to true fulfillment. Could the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus offer everything we’ve ever wanted?
You set some goals today. You’ve achieved some of them (well done), and now you’re having a little scroll.
When we set goals and achieve them, we feel good! It could be smaller things like tasks on a to-do list, or it could be bigger things like career goals. It could be relationship requirements, saving up for a holiday, winning big in the match, levelling up the income, growing the business, raising a child… We set goals, we achieve them, and we feel good.
Then comes the big question.
It’s the question that kept me climbing the career ladder for ten years at the BBC. It’s the question we ask as we scroll RightMove. It’s the question we ask when we get back from a weekend away….
‘What’s next?’
We set goals, achieve goals, feel good… but then we feel the same thing afterwards. It could be summarised in one word. The word keeps coming up again and again amongst so many of the rich and famous I used to work with in my old job, as well as those visiting our Foodbank or debt services in my new job.
That word is ‘empty’.
We achieve. We feel good. Then we feel empty. So we ask ‘what’s next?’, and we set more goals. And round and round it goes.
Why do we do that? Human psychology tells us we do it because we’re all hardwired to look for the same set of basic needs - human desires that we’re all searching for. Neuroscientist Professor Tali Sharot was on a recent popular podcast explaining the foundational three - happiness, meaning and optimism. A longer list would include love, security, significance, freedom, peace and purpose.
We can find those things in all kinds of good places, can’t we? Friendships, relationships, jobs, bank balances, degrees, children, holidays, career progression, leisure time. We can certainly find a flavour of some of those things - love, freedom, significance, security, peace, purpose, happiness, optimism and meaning - in a number of different things, to a greater or lesser extent. But what if we could find not just some of them but all of them… not just in flavour but in full… not in many places but in one place?
What if just one weekend could give us everything we ever wanted?
It’s Easter (*lets off tiny party popper*). We largely let it pass us by with a bit of chocolate and a few days off work. But could it be that the events of that first ever Easter weekend in history could actually give us everything we’re searching for? Could the life, death and resurrection of Jesus fulfil - and I really do mean fully fill - all our deepest human needs and desires?
Because that’s one of the fundamental claims of Christianity.
What is it about Good Friday, as Jesus is hammered to wooden stake in the ground, that can fulfil my deepest need for love that won’t disappear or disappoint? What is it about the crucifixion that can give me a sense of freedom and peace that I can’t find from simply ‘getting away from it all’ for the bank holiday? What is it about the death of Jesus that ends my search for significance in promotions, possessions and people?
What is it about Easter Saturday that helps me find meaning and purpose in the very darkest times in life, beyond just gritting my teeth and cracking on with it?
What is it about Resurrection Sunday that can give me a sense of security when the changing world around me feels so insecure? How does it bring true and real joy that goes beyond mere happiness, hope that goes beyond mere optimism?
If it’s possible, then surely we need to at least look into it.
It’s my personal experience that Jesus really can give us everything we ever wanted. And I’m not alone. It’s the experience of billions of Christians around the world and down the generations. It’s the experience of a growing number of spiritually-searching Brits finding faith. Church attendance is up 50% in since 2018. In Gen Z it’s actually four-fold. Bible sales are soaring. New churchgoers report feeling much happier with their life, think life is more meaningful, and are more hopeful about their future. (I genuinely hope Professor Sharot gets to see those three words). Will you find out why? Will you join the 50%?
Perhaps this Easter is a good time to try church (but honestly, any time is a good time). Perhaps it’s time you found out whether one weekend - the death and resurrection of Jesus - can give you everything you ever wanted.
After a decade at the BBC, producing Chris Evans and Zoe Ball’s breakfast shows, Graham Albans is now the Director of Mission & Outreach as part of the leadership team at Grace Community Church in Bedford, where he lives with his wife Jo and their three kids.
