Easter is paradox brought to the highest power. All along Jesus has been teaching the kingdom of God in parables: The last shall be first and the first shall be last; the blind see, the lame walk, and the deaf hear; the hungry are fed, sinners are forgiven, and the virgin becomes the mother. Now, in the resurrection, death gives birth to eternal life.
The new community of faith, born at Pentecost, will take on this parabolic identity. In today's episode, a classic gospel "appearance story," humble women are given the first commission to preach the gospel of Jesus rising from the dead, while the religious and civic leaders are busy cooking up cover stories to protect their positions of authority.
Easter is all about newness of life in Christ. The risen life of Christ is ours for the taking. The power of loving with the very love of God is within us and we can fearlessly stake our lives on it. Everyone of us is entrusted with the message of the Good News of God’s love. Easter provides us with a fresh opportunity of facing ourselves with the issue of our own resurrection. It presents us with the challenge of spreading the light and the life of the Risen Christ. Are we alive in Christ with the Risen Lord firmly rooted in our hearts and actions, or are we still living in a selfish manner? Easter has no spiritual significance for us if Christ has emptied his tomb and we still lie in death in our own. If we are truly the people of God then those who are searching for meaning in life will discover from us that Christ is the way home, the resting place for restless hearts.
“Lord, we are your people. Open our hearts this Easter season and increase the gift of your life within us.”
No comments:
Post a Comment