We Are Easter People

Holy Week was difficult in many ways.  It was rainy and I hurt.  My dear sweet giraffe friend, Julius Longfellow, suddenly was gone.  My little Sadie cat has taken a turn for the worse.  And then there are all the dark things happening in our country and the world, even fears of a nuclear attack by North Korea.  It was so easy to feel the despair of Good Friday.

On Easter morning I was ready for sudden joy and brightness during our service.  The sun was shining although the air was cool.  People were dressed up.  The children made me smile during the children’s time—and there were so many of them.  But that great joy that would blot out the darkness just wasn’t there.  The Easter flowers were beautiful, but. . .

I realized that everything wasn’t suddenly wonderful for the disciples either.  The women learned the good news first and they were the ones who told the disciples.  It took a while for them to comprehend what the resurrection meant for them.  However, they learned what they were meant to do and they changed the world.  But they did this at great cost to themselves.

What is Easter really about?  I think it is about hope.  It’s about God’s love for us.  God took something horrible and turned it into something joyous.  We are living in dark times and people are full of fear.  God is still here, continuing to love us.  There is hope.  We need to step forward, just like the disciples after the resurrection, and follow Jesus.  Hope and love abound.  We need to look for it in each other.  We are the Easter people and together we can change the world.

Written on 4/18/17