Everything good again

Thine be the glory, risen, conqu'ring son...

The Easter classic 'Thine be the glory' was written in 1884 by a French-speaking Swiss pastor called Edmond Budry from a town called Vevey on the shores of Lake Geneva, where milk chocolate was invented. Budry set his hymn to a tune by George Handel. Nearly 40 years later it was translated into English.

The hymn celebrates the joy of Easter - Jesus meets us - and its impact - scattering fear and gloom. All the disciples' hopes that were dashed on Good Friday, are now realised as the hymn takes us through the momentous events of the first Easter. The message of the hymn is that the same can be true for us.

"No more we doubt thee..." is a double confession: that once we were not sure and that now we are. Scepticism is healthy but, once the facts are established, it must give way to conviction, otherwise cynicism creeps in and that is corrosive. Easter confronts us with our doubts about God and overcomes them. Hallelujah!