Happy Easter!

Light coming into an empty cave.

He is risen! He is risen indeed! We say these words in church. The pastor will say, “He is risen!” And then the congregation will reply, “He is risen indeed”. The pastor will repeat as a signal to say it louder – more exuberantly. They are simple words that convey a powerful truth: Christ has risen! We are no longer condemned. We are free to love exuberantly.

In our Adult Sunday School we have been reading Adam Hamilton’s, “Making Sense of the Bible”. The study centers on the veracity and inclusion of scripture. He ascribes to the idea that the Bible is “god-breathed” but acknowledges that we must always evaluate scripture on the basis of Christ and His teachings. It is not okay to want revenge on our enemies. Christ calls us to radical forgiveness. It is not okay to discriminate against others or practice slavery. Christ calls for radical inclusion. We are all equal in the eyes of God. We can’t hate the foreigner, the poor, or those different from us. Christ calls for radical love.

He is risen! He is risen indeed! Today is the day of promises. Through Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection, we become children of God, fully loved, completely forgiven. It is a gift given. We don’t earn salvation, we embrace it and our love for ourselves and others shows we have received it. We don’t stand in fear of judgment. We rest in the arms of God. We receive his love and respond with our own. We can approach the throne with confidence. He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Photo by Bruno van der Kraan on Unsplash