Bishop’s Easter Message
Too GOOD TO BE TRUE: He is Risen! He IS Risen! The lord is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
The resurrection joy is God’s reassurance to the world of new life in Jesus. This life conquers death transforming darkness into light, today’s fear into tomorrow’s joy, and hopelessness into hopefulness. The wonder, love and praise we feel when we experience the love of God freely gifted in a spirit of renewed hope and optimism is truly indescribable. Easter comes after the forty day Lenten observance which includes Holy Week characterized by a period of fasting, contrition and penance. Christians were given an opportunity to pilgrimage with Jesus in his experience of the loneliness that so often accompanies human despair. We see him as a victim of the abuse of religious and political power in a classic demonstration of the travesty of justice. Although, his condemnation was a result of the forces of darkness, the profound message of Easter to the people of the world is that out of darkness comes light, and out of death emerges life abundant. However, Easter demands something of us, a call for a change of heart, a turning to God which concomitantly comes with a demand from us, which is, a shift in ways of thinking and behavior toward each other.
Easter is also a visible reminder that when we allow the Spirit the opportunity to breathe through the cracks of our broken lives how much more we are able to enjoy healing, restoration, reconciliation and new reasons to live again, and prosper as individuals and community of faith. I encourage the light of Easter be felt in every corner where any semblance of darkness is found.
My beloved in Christ, I invite each one to rise with Christ this Easter, and as we do, pray the Spirit to release any stone that may be rolled in front the tomb of our heart in order to create space for Christ to fully occupy. Jesus’ resurrection is too good to be true, but we rejoice in faith knowing that he is alive, and we are alive with him, and that’s what makes the difference. WE ARE THE EASTER PEOPLE!!
Happy Easter to the Episcopal family of the Diocese of Easton and everyone else!!!!
+San
XI Bishop