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The birds are singing, alleluia!  I stepped outside to clear my head and I heard the birds singing ecstatically in response to the suddenly warmer weather.  It was the song of spring, of nature rejoicing that new life is once again defying all odds!  Green sprouts are once again pushing through the cold earth, alleluia!  Spring is such a beautiful reminder of the power of the resurrection.  We can go for a walk or look out our window and see God’s hand at work turning death into new life.

And we need this annual reminder.  It is so easy to become overwhelmed by the death and dying that we see all around us - the cruelty, lying, and injustice; the mistreatment of our neighbors, the callous waging of war.  It can be easy to lose hope in the face of our daily news.  But our Holy Week story tells us that God came into the world to walk alongside us through the very scariest, most difficult times of our lives, choosing to live among us through the darkest nights and longest winters.  Jesus entered fully into the pain of humanity to proclaim God’s love to the world.  He took on the ugliness of oppressive forces and political violence.  The physical embodiment of God’s love, Jesus took on all of that pain, fear, and death. 

And yet, like the green grass rises in the spring, Jesus overcame death, rising again into new life.  Showing up to the women on Easter morning, Jesus showed them that death does not have the final word.  That God can - and will - turn tears into laughter.  No matter how bad things get in our lives or our world, the promise of Easter remains - the promise that God WILL carry us through, even this.

The birds are singing, alleluia! Reminding us that winter does not last forever.  Reminding us of the power of resurrection - God’s ability to bring new life out of the coldest, darkest, scariest times of our lives.  Take some time to listen to their song and be reminded.  Be reminded of the Good News of God’s undying, life-giving love. Alleluia!  Christ is risen!  Christ is risen, indeed!  Alleluia!