Easter, 2013. What a blessing to have almost the whole family together and to hold those who are not here in our hearts. Gratitude!
“The day of resurrection, earth sing it out abroad! ” The day before Easter, on Easter Saturday, I wrote these words: This is a day when Christians around the world, stand still waiting, remembering Jesus crucified and buried. Death had descended and had not yet been defied. I have avoided the reliving of Jesus suffering during holy week this year. I couldn’t stand the focus on the details of violence.
I knew how the story ends, the stone rolled away, the empty tomb, the defiance of death, the resurrection. I am ready to celebrate Easter with its promise of new life and defiance of the forces of death.
Now it is Easter Monday. Time to choose life, the triumph of life, with my whole being. Resurrection is a mystery that points to a reality, the possibility of ultimate human resilience, the ability to affirm and hold on to life. We know there is adversity and finally, death. Now comes the time to look deeper and focus on life’s blessings; to feel God and Love having the last word.
The Easter story is amazing because it calls us to live out the redemptive side of life, not with rose colored glasses on, but even in the face of humanity gone awry and our human limits being challenged. Life is stronger than death. Love is stronger than hate. Peace is stronger than violence.
Jesus is like the bush in the Moses story that burned but was not consumed. When he saw that bush, Moses knew he was standing on holy ground. Jesus is our holy grounding, facing injustice and crucifixion, he is not consumed. He is the one who has passed through suffering and death and emerges whole on the other side. He leads the way. Easter is about living on the redemptive, forgiving, amazing side of being human and divine. Claiming life.
There on our roads we can see the face of God in the risen Christ and know that we are loved and able to love. There on the road we see ourselves reborn, fulfilled. There on the road we see Christ in one another. A radical reality even when we aren’t seeing it.
So, around our Easter table we break bread and eat fish just as the disciples did with Jesus so long ago after the resurrection. Maybe the post resurrection stories were more teaching tools than historic fact. They nonetheless reflected a real experience that the disciples had of Jesus presence. I had an experience of Jesus’ presence in those beloved faces around our table. Accept imperfection. Embrace the gifts. Love is here. We are risen and rising!. Generation after generation.
“Welcome happy morning, Forgetage to age shall say, death today is vanquished, heaven is won today.”