Easter, March 23, 2008

"He has told you what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God!" - Micah 6:8

"Jesus is risen. Allelulia, Alleluia" What does Jesus' resurrection mean for us? What does resurrection in itself have to tell us?

We have dyings and risings all through our lives. We die to childhood to become teens and die to teen years to become young adults. Our families call us to many dyings and risings. As we age, we die to things we can't do anymore. Along with this, life happens to us. Friends move away. We change jobs. Accidents happen. People close to us die or become incapacitated. We learn to let go of people and situations we have no control over.

In all of this we experience loss, yet God is always calling us to new life.

As we experience change, we can either refuse to accept it and remain frozen in our spiritual and physical lives, or we can realize we have to let go and look for the good in each day. Life is good. Nature is amazing with all its variety and rhythms.

Jesus' resurrection tells us there is more to our lives than we know. This gives us hope. We have just one life; and by his life, Jesus gave us an example of how to live the best life we can. Jesus had faith in what He was doing and that somehow it would be all right. Jesus has faith in us, and he told us not to be afraid to live his way. His message of love, forgiveness, and blessing would not be easy, but he would send his Spirit to give us courage and strength. We are to live his message and challenge systems and institutions that do not reflect his teachings.

And in the end, love is all that really matters - God's love for us and our love for God and for each other. Jesus' suffering and death were not the end, and we can live with hope for our own resurrection.