Easter Sunday, April 17, 2022
“Celebrate the Risen Lord”
Easter arrives.
Conflict, violence, and war still exist. Hunger and poverty are still alive and well, and people still treat others poorly. Easter is here but it doesn’t seem like anything is different, especially if we fall back into those bad habits that we gave up at the beginning of Lent.
As God’s people, our biggest day arrives with little change. There’s even less change for people who choose to remain in the dark, ignoring God and choosing other paths for their lives. These folks, who represent the majority of people in our world, don’t seem to mind the chocolate bunnies. Indeed, many of them may participate in their own Easter celebrations (but they probably never think about attending Easter sunrise services at the crack of dawn-thirty on Easter morning).
It’s bothersome that the rest of the world can receive all the goodies with none of the work. It doesn’t seem quite fair that others can enjoy the fun without trudging through 46 days of avoiding meats, sweets, smokes, and drinks. I forget that God created Easter specifically for these folks. That’s right! Jesus said several times that He didn’t come to save those of us who are already living in the light. Rather, Jesus came in unselfish love to save those who want the reward without believing, trying, or doing anything remotely related to the reasons we celebrate Easter.
Whose fault is that? Mine. One of the lessons I learned during Lent is that my relationship with God is dependent on what I do with my Faith. Namely, if I’m not actively seeking to tell others about God’s infinite love, then I’m not really fulfilling my own responsibility to share the hope of Easter with someone else. That’s on me.
Today’s Lenten Challenge is simple: there’s not one. Instead, I’m going to focus on an Easter Challenge to tell more people about the things God has done for me. In the process of sharing my story with others, maybe next year at Easter sunrise, they’ll tell me their own story.
What will you do with your Easter? Share it with someone else!
“Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20, The Message)
