God of glory,
by the raising of your Son
you have broken the chains of death and hell:
fill your Church with faith and hope;
for a new day has dawned
and the way to life stands open
in our Saviour Jesus Christ.
There are moments when I have a joy so stirring it’s actually painful. It tends to happen when I’m in the midst of sorrow: Joy — inflected with hope as a counterweight to that sorrow — breaks in. And I’m reminded of what Jesus has done. Death is overcome. Its sting, however painful in the moment, won’t last forever.
This year is only four months old, but it has already been a hard one. The situation in Ukraine has devolved into a genocide; the world (including me) continues to forget the crises in Yemen, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and elsewhere that have been going on for months (years) with millions displaced…and a particular knife to the gut: Dr. Paul Farmer, who inspired so many of us, passed away suddenly in his sleep at age 61.
Death has been near. Rude in its sudden intrusions. Devastating in who it takes, too soon, too soon.
And yet, and yet…
Jesus is risen. He has indeed overcome Death, and this sorrow will not last. We have already the promise of ultimate victory. And the world, with all its groaning and suffering, will see the day when He returns and repairs all things. This is what we remember and celebrate every Easter.
