May this Easter bring you the hope and joy of Jesus' resurrection

May this Easter bring you the hope and joy of Jesus' resurrection

"On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!'"

-- From the Gospel according to Luke,

Chapter 24, verses 1 through 6

The Christian celebration of Holy Week triumphantly marches toward its conclusion Sunday, culminating in the scene described in the Gospel according to Luke, Chapter 24, verses 1 through 6.

Easter.The resurrection of Jesus Christ.

From Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, through His betrayal, arrest and death by crucifixion on Good Friday, to his miraculous ascension to Heaven on Easter Sunday, the story speaks to us in countless ways.

We find ourselves reflecting on those lessons, and recognize that they are timeless, monumental and universal.

Yet, one stands above all.

Hope.

Jesus' earthly body died, but His Spirit, His Godliness, lives as surely today as it has for the past two millenia.

We see our world today, and we might despair.

War and violence wreak havoc in Ukraine, Gaza and elsewhere.

Famine and poverty steal vibrance and, indeed, life from the young and old alike.

Humankind often does evil in the service of fueling addictions of all sundry and ravaging types.

Yet, there is hope.

We see it everywhere.

Men and women feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger.

Communities coming together to rebuild and strengthen.

Those who step forward to run into a fire to save others or step forward to stop wrongdoing.

Candidates for public office who devote time and energy pursuing progress and prosperity.

Medical personnel, truck drivers and shelf stockers who exemplify their essential status.

Teachers who instruct and care for our most precious resource.

The brave who stand before tyranny and oppression.

As a rainbow promises the rain will end or a newborn heralds the future, we cling to the hope that exists in Christ through us all.

This weekend we celebrate Easter.

May you find comfort and joy in the hopefulness and triumph of Jesus' resurrection.