Spirit of ‘Resurgam’ is needed again

Making a bold statement about faith is required sometimes and for this article this is a timely requirement. 

As far as the Christian faith is concerned, globally, it is the focus on Jesus Christ as the Son of God which is foundational. All authentic traditions from Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Protestant have at their core the belief that Jesus is unique in that He is both 100% divine and 100% human. 

His death and resurrection 2,000 years ago are at the very essence of Christian traditions and the most unifying element within Christendom.

On the Plymouth City Council website, a statement has been posted which says: “We are in the midst of a global pandemic which is both a health emergency and an unprecedented economic shock. This is a time when local government really matters. Our plan must protect jobs and address the immediate threats to lives and livelihoods, but it must also reset the local economy to address structural inequalities in our city and place a fairer and greener future at the heart of our recovery.” – Tudor Evans, Leader of Plymouth City Council.

The statement on the website went on to say: “For the past six months we have had to balance the tension between health issues and a weakening economy. Council leader Tudor Evans has pledged to lead from the front the city’s economic recovery programme out of the COVID-19 lockdown. At Cabinet today (Tuesday 5 May) he will announce plans to help Plymouth’s businesses get back to work through Resurgam – a programme to oversee recovery across all sectors.”

The word Resurgam is Latin for ‘I shall rise again’ and the word became part of Plymouth’s history when it appeared on a wooden sign over the bombed-out St Andrew’s Church during the Blitz. Councillor Evans said: “This is the biggest economic challenge this city has faced since the Blitz, but I am certain we can rise to the challenge.”

So where does this story of Resurgam come from in our city’s history? The story goes that the sign was placed by a Margaret E Smith, an English teacher at Plymouth High School for Girls. Miss Smith had Resurgam painted on a piece of wood by a Mutley carpenter and placed it above the entrance to St Andrew’s. Later it was carved in granite and placed above the door.

All this was during the 1941 Blitz which saw Plymouth bombed by Nazi Germany in a way that was comparable in devastation to the Blitz in London. The threat of invasion and dominance by a foreign force was the last time we as a city experienced anything as challenging as we are today.

I would just like to take this opportunity of encouraging everybody who believes in the power of prayer to pray from hearts of sincerity with courage, generosity and love for our fellow man and families and pray for those in authority as is stated in Holy Scripture. “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf and give thanks for them. Pray this way for leaders and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Saviour, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1–4)

As in the dark days of WW2, it will be courage within the hearts of Plymothians that will give us hope to see a new day dawning.