If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?
(NRSV, Ac ts11:17).
Easter Day is the day the Lord has made! Christ is risen, and through Him all creation is made new! Indeed, “God shows no partiality,” (Acts 10:34): Christ’s resurrection truly brings new life to everyone. We sing hymns of praise, gather around sacred words, and proclaim God’s faithfulness, power, and love, in the Holy Eucharist. With the women at the tomb, I hope that we are astonished all over again and grateful for the hope that resurrection brings us all.
As we hear the primal stories of God’s mighty acts, they transform from narratives of the past into the mystery of our present reality. God always brings new life from death, bondage, and exile. With the deaths of recent loved ones, we mourn even as we remember that we will be reunited, but not yet. I expect Holy Week to have a special meaning for us as we go through Christ’s passion. The Easter Vigil reminds us that although Jesus was killed, he was also raised to new life and thereby conquered what we’ve heard called the ancient foe, death. Instinctually, we all feel that death is final, and in a real way, it is. Death ends our life on earth as we’ve always known it. While we do not yet know what our new life will look like in the resurrection, we do have glimpses of our new reality through Jesus’ resurrection texts.
Jesus recognized his disciples, as did they recognize him. Jesus ate with the disciples, spoke with them, and appeared to them in a human form that could apparently pass through closed, locked, doors. Jesus had already said that he went to prepare a place for all of us, and that is what we hold on to in seasons of grief. In the meantime, we remember our loved ones by giving thanks for them to be sure, but also through our shared memories and stories. Let us never shy away from sharing memories, especially of those whom we all hold in common, but not limited to them. We all have “triggers” which stir up old memories, and I think it is best when we share those moments. “This reminds me of……” and so on.
Easter is a time of celebration, and we will. We all have much to be grateful for and much to live for. We have each other, our closest friends/family, and we know that God never leaves us. Each of our loved ones would want us to get on with living and I hope that is what we will do both collectively and individually. Enjoy the season, remember the love that brought you to this place in your life, and know that because Jesus lives, we will too.
Peace and Happy Easter to you all,
Pastor Ernie +