It is hard to believe we are here at the front door of Easter weekend, Good Friday and life is nothing like we could have envisioned a few short months ago.
It would make for a movie but real life scenarios? Not even close but yet, here we are….
It’s amazing to be in line ups for the grocery store, pharmacy, hardware store and that just to get in. The gas stations are not full but the prices are great right now… oh yes, nowhere to go…..
All of this could make even the strongest one stop and pause and ask, “Is there hope in the middle of this”?
I’ve been reading a lot of the account of the Easter story these past few weeks and the contrast in tone, drama could be something that we could draw courage from in light of what we as community's, cities, countries, our world are facing presently.
The Sunday leading into Easter week was/is generally considered Palm Sunday. Jesus rides into Jerusalem and there is such excitement, joy, anticipation for the future and palm branches (even coats lined the street) lined the road that he rides in on and it is a great day.
Except that 4 days later, he is betrayed by one of his own disciples and it brings us to Good Friday.
I can only imagine his follower’s bewilderment at the sudden turn of events; their leader, shepherd, friend is arrested, beaten, flogged, whipped, falsely accused and from 5 days earlier when the crowds are hailing Jesus as the rescuer, the crowd is now saying to crucify him instead of the thief who earned that place.
Good Friday and it's memory; a place of a scourge, a curse, a devastating moment; watching Jesus being nailed to a cross, pierced in the side with a sword, one of the ugliest and most reviled ways to kill a person is happening and the world as they knew it at that time is about to go dark.
The world as they knew it at that time is about to go dark.
For some today, this pandemic has raised fears, concerns, paranoia even.
Some of us have lost our jobs temporarily, put on furlough, pay has been slashed or worse yet, the company may never reopen.
It could be that the isolation and not being able to connect with family, friends, and coworkers is becoming harder to do or feels harder to continue without becoming disgruntled.
Or it could be that sickness is a real issue and not just the corona virus.
I have had a dear friend recently succumb to the virus, along with some friends who had quite a fight but are pulling through.
Or the family who lost a loved one and in this period of time can only have 10 people stand with them all the while physically distancing in a funeral parlor or cemetery burial service.
There are other scenarios that could be considered dark but I am hopeful because on the back-end of a terrible Friday, a very sad and lonely Saturday, Sunday comes.
I think the words that are continually striking to me,
“Don’t be afraid!” he (The angel) said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.
What a difference a week makes!!!
From a Sunday of joy to a Friday of dark and utter gloom to the light of a new dawn, a new Sunday to say that Hope is alive!
So, I do not have a crystal ball on when the curve will flatten on this pandemic situation we are living in nor when things will return to some sort of normal whatever that may look like but Easter gives me hope.
Hope to dream, hope to believe, hope to gain strength, hope to put my trust in a bedrock foundation, hope to not just guess but strength in the midst of chaos. Not blindly walking but walking knowing that Easter weekend means my faith didn’t die on a gloomy, dark Friday but came back to life with full power, full strength, full virtue, full of Hope on Easter Sunday because He is Hope!
While I draw hope from my wife, my family, my friends and that has been of great comfort as I’m sure it has been for you as well etc, this blessed Hope of Easter Weekend helps me now in the middle of this crisis and will help me on the other side when this moment subsides because we/I will always need Hope!
I trust you will be encouraged to hope even if you don’t feel like it because of everything that is going on presently; we need Hope right now and Hope is an anchor I want to latch on to!
Happy Easter my friends
He Is Risen- He Is Hope!!
Dave
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