It turns out not even death is safe anymore…graves no longer off limits to the constructive power of life. 

Have you ever thought of something? Jesus’ resurrection. Did it happen to him? Or to us? I mean, he was the one raised from the dead, yes. But the New Testament seems to suggest his resurrection was something that happened to us. This one event sent shockwaves around the globe and back. It reordered the entire spirit realm. It turned the entire world’s (demonic and political) fear-based power system inside out and on its head. They were shown for what they were like the emperor in his new clothes. 

The good news of the gospel preached in the book of Acts basically went like this: He was maimed, martyred and murdered by the moral majority and surprise, surprise, he came back! His demise was his coronation; His death, proof of his pure love for all people; His resurrection, a sign that no regime built on fear was safe any longer. It was a call to all oppressed peoples everywhere to rise up and be free to be powerful, free to love, free to serve, free to dream…in spite of the atmosphere of fear or threat of persecution. 

No one had precedent or capacity to expect the resurrection. But it happened. And now that one event re-defines everything (power, love, freedom), speaks to everything (ego, insecurity, sin, woundedness) and calls us upward into the kind of people we are meant to be (hope-filled, dreamers, servants, lovers). If death can be undone, if the greatest glory can emerge from the ashes of the hugest defeat, then how are we to look at our light and momentary problems? Grieve them? Definitely. And then wait five minutes, “Lazarus, come out!” Or three days, “He is not here; he has risen.” Grief will be dissolved away by the breakthrough of resurrection that follows. All tears will be turned into laughter. All mourning into dancing. 

This Easter, celebrate new hope for yourself personally and for our growing, beautiful tribe, known as the human race, collectively. God is more hopeful and excited about the good that is happening right now than about any other time in history. God is preoccupied with the Present…and with the Good…and with You. The resurrection happened to you 2,000 years ago. Now go with the reverberations of that event and echo it to the world around you, by walking in faith, hope and love. Happy Easter!