with the Rev KEVIN LOGAN, Vicar of Christ Church, Accrington.

THREE things I need. So do we all, if I may be so bold.

Grill any head doctor, ask psycho experts, approach any religion, and the human essentials remain the same: self-esteem, significance and security.

Only this treasure in generous measure brings peace, and the post-Easter season is when I most remember it.

Take self-esteem: the need to be of value.

Modern angst arises from a suspicion that we are each worth a fiver - the sale price of all our chemicals melted down and weighed. When reconstituted, we're little more than a sexual scrum of selfish genes, a few steps removed from an amoeba.

Then, along comes God in Jesus. He says, 'I love you so much ' (John's Gospel, chapter 3: verse 16 - worth reading more if you have a Bible). He comes to save us from ourselves, our emptiness, our low self-esteem, our sin.

Consider, now, significance: Imagine the No. 1 Person of the Universe doing that for little old me! For you! If you were the only person in the world, he would still have come; still have let you crucify him; still have come to save you.

How significant do we want to be?

And, finally, security: Let's face it, if you and I are the apple of God's eye; if we're the subject of this fine romance at the heart of our universe, do we really need to worry about our future?

Can we even doubt a secure future if we've allowed our Universal Lover to take the No. I spot?

As long as you live, and beyond.