An Easter Message
Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life: such a way as gives us breath; such a truth as ends all strife; such a life as killeth death.
Come my Light, my Feast, my Strength: such a light as shows a feast; such a feast as mends in length; such a strength as makes his guest.
Come, my Joy, my Love, my Heart: such a joy as none can move; such a love as none can part; such a heart as joys in love.
--- George Herbert (1593-1633)
The Lord’s resurrection brings us the incomparable bright new day of everlasting joy.
The followers of Jesus went to the tomb in the nadir of sorrow to anoint a dead body, as lifeless as their own hopes for him and for what had seemed so promising about him. They found instead an empty tomb and the zenith of joy in the power and proclamation of death undone. Their encounter with their Lord, once dead but now arisen, upended their being and their understanding of the very direction and order of the cosmos. By virtue of this risen life now standing before them, alongside the marks of the nails in his hands and feet, no past, present or future circumstance in life or in death, however dire or dark in nature, would ever be considered or measured again apart from the overarching grace of the undergirding truth of God’s almighty power to save. In Jesus – once dead but now alive – God was making visible and available to all the reign of his life in love and the reign of his love in life.
Indeed in one person, and for all creation, the two dimensions were now and forever indivisibly the same: the reign of Love is the reign of Life and the reign of Life is the reign of Love in Jesus the Christ.
Say good-bye to every old way of thinking and all old ways of living. He is risen! Surrender anxious fretting and fruitless worry, misplaced fears and apprehensions, discord, blind contention, all false judgment and duress. His love – like his life – is raised. He will not be diminished, dismantled, or lost in the reach and realization of his purpose on your behalf. Jesus lives, and he lives with the inestimable redeeming love of Almighty God for you!
Fr. Rob +
Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life: such a way as gives us breath; such a truth as ends all strife; such a life as killeth death.
Come my Light, my Feast, my Strength: such a light as shows a feast; such a feast as mends in length; such a strength as makes his guest.
Come, my Joy, my Love, my Heart: such a joy as none can move; such a love as none can part; such a heart as joys in love.
--- George Herbert (1593-1633)
The Lord’s resurrection brings us the incomparable bright new day of everlasting joy.
The followers of Jesus went to the tomb in the nadir of sorrow to anoint a dead body, as lifeless as their own hopes for him and for what had seemed so promising about him. They found instead an empty tomb and the zenith of joy in the power and proclamation of death undone. Their encounter with their Lord, once dead but now arisen, upended their being and their understanding of the very direction and order of the cosmos. By virtue of this risen life now standing before them, alongside the marks of the nails in his hands and feet, no past, present or future circumstance in life or in death, however dire or dark in nature, would ever be considered or measured again apart from the overarching grace of the undergirding truth of God’s almighty power to save. In Jesus – once dead but now alive – God was making visible and available to all the reign of his life in love and the reign of his love in life.
Indeed in one person, and for all creation, the two dimensions were now and forever indivisibly the same: the reign of Love is the reign of Life and the reign of Life is the reign of Love in Jesus the Christ.
Say good-bye to every old way of thinking and all old ways of living. He is risen! Surrender anxious fretting and fruitless worry, misplaced fears and apprehensions, discord, blind contention, all false judgment and duress. His love – like his life – is raised. He will not be diminished, dismantled, or lost in the reach and realization of his purpose on your behalf. Jesus lives, and he lives with the inestimable redeeming love of Almighty God for you!
Fr. Rob +