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Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

We say these words every year at Easter, no matter what.  We say them in years when everything is going great and we have so much to celebrate and we say them at times in our lives that are full of heartbreak and grief.  We say them in times of peace and in times of war, when things are going well in the world or in our lives, and when everything is falling apart.  The proclamation of Jesus' resurrection is Good News for all the times of our life, but it is most essential during the hardest times.

The story of Jesus' death and resurrection reminds us that God is with us in the absolute worst and hardest times of our lives.  The cross is a vivid reminder that God enters into our suffering, never abandoning us, but always right alongside us.  And Easter morning reminds us of the power of resurrection - God’s promise that there WILL BE life on the other side.

There are so many forms of death in our world - physical death, despair, corruption, fearfulness, persecution, addiction, grief…  And yet, none of these has the final word.  None of these, or any of the other forces of death we experience, are the end of the story.  Even when we cannot yet see how things can possibly get better, God can.  The Good News of Easter is that God brings LIFE out of death.  God enters into the most horrible parts of our story, into the most painful places in our lives, and transforms them.  God can bring joy, even when all we can imagine is grief.  God can bring laughter, even when our eyes ache from crying.  God can transform hearts and transform lives in ways that we cannot even imagine.

The Good News is that God PROMISES to bring new life out of the very worst that is happening in our lives or in our world, even when it feels impossible.  God knows our pain and is with us in our suffering and God can transform even the worst of it into something new - into new life.  That is the promise and the HOPE that we are given.  That is the Good News of Easter that we proclaim every year - every day - no matter what.

Alleluia!  Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed, Alleluia!

Pastor Heather L. Grell