An Easter Reflection

Free Bibleimages

Some days, and especially through the pandemic, some of us may have felt that life is not worth it, that all seems to be dark. Even for us then, with all our theological studies, our first question may have been, ‘Is God for me?’ ‘Can God love me through this mess?’ ‘Where is God?’

Then we have this Easter event! Christ is risen!

What can we make of it all? What is God asking of us? What might it be saying to us?

To be an optimist because we know what happened on the third day. We know that it worked. That Jesus’ leap of faith was not in vain. This is the point, I think, that His leap of faith was not in vain! He trusted enough to outstare the darkness, to outstare the void, to wait upon the resurrection on the third day. He remained faithful to the fact that God would remain faithful to him. Jesus shows us the way through. God will remain faithful, despite death, even in the face of death, because of death, God will remain faithful.

All the readings over Easter, for me, reveal one thing - God is faithful. God is nothing else but ‘love unto love unto love.’ God is faithful to this promise. This is what Jesus reveals in the resurrection. It is the other side of the cross. In fact, it is the light that shines through His heart on the cross. Jesus is the beginning, the middle, and the end. Jesus is everything.

For all time, Jesus becomes our sign, our promise, our guarantee, our fulfilment. He is what God can accomplish in humanity when we say ‘Yes’ to God… for what takes place in the Body of Jesus takes place in us. All our crucifixions will be turned to resurrections. All those dark times we have experienced over the last few years - for what is given to God is always returned transformed.

Edited from the MSC Magazine, Chris McPhee MSC