Not being a regular churchgoer, the messages of religion I still find enormously instructive and reassuring - reminding me of the value of things that endure despite many unwelcome changes evidently emerging all around us.

We are all different of course, but personally I decline to be perverted, by the growing environment of anger and hate, into believing that is the best we can do, or ought do.

Thankfully I know there are many who also think that - namely the literally billions of regular people on this earth whose main hope is just to live their lives in peace and hopefully with love and enough possessions for a decent existence.

This year for Lent I tried hard to release despair. But what does that mean when confronted with events like at Christchurch and even, more mundanely, the political ratbaggery of elections?

On a TED talk recently I encountered a new phrase, which said that people need more to be right than effective - which seems unfortunately true of immature and conservative attitudes.

If we want the world to display a better face, its not enough to be right in this moment and defend some status quo now, as if its the last word that could be said, but also to act in ways that help us along.

Anyway that's what my Lent has left me feeling as we approach Easter, whose own message is love for all and hope.

We, the people who want no more than peace and enough (without greed), must somehow find ways to be more effective together, resisting incessant fear-mongering.

So Happy Easter to all - a time for reflection and confidence in renewal.

Councillor Intemann's stories from a civic heart are her opinions and not necessarily those of Port Macquarie-Hastings Council.