The Bishop of Manchester's Easter message of faith, hope and love

The Bishop of Manchester has spoken in his annual Easter Sunday message of the 'three things that last forever' - faith, hope and love.

The Rt Rev David Walker reflected on what the joyous Christian celebration of Easter means and how he sees 'many signs of hope and new life in the world around'.

Wishing Greater Manchester a very happy Easter, he urged people to have hope for the future, both for one another and for the planet.

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"I love the fact that in Holy Week, we spend a lot of time just focusing on those last seven days or so of Jesus's public ministry prior to his execution and then, the glories of the Resurrection on Easter morning.

"I love the fact that we can focus on the past, not because the past is the most important thing in itself, but because the past prepares us to live in the present and to look to the future.

"What Jesus came to bring was a message not just of what God had done once long ago, but what God is continuing to do all the time among us and what God will do, bringing this whole creative universe to its fulfilment according to His will.

"St Paul talked about there being three things that last forever - faith and hope and love.

"And if faith is the backward looking bit, love is that bit about how we live today and hope is about how we are journeying into God's future.

"And so in this season when flowers are coming into bloom and trees are coming into leaf, there are so many signs of hope and new life in the world around.

"Let this be a season for us to look at the past in order to live wholly and fully and full of love in the present and be really hopeful for the future for God's people and God's planet. Happy