4/16/22

Easter Sunday. The story of a miracle. An empty tomb. Disbelief. Surprise. And finally, a celebration. But what does it all really mean? That some extraordinary person escaped death for some cosmic, salvific purpose on our behalf? Maybe. But maybe it also means that the ideals that Jesus stood for, lived, and preached cannot be killed, that they're always alive even in dark and difficult times. Ideals such as compassion for all, even our enemies; egalitarianism; forgiveness; a commitment to peace over violence; a devotion to mental and physical healing; justice characterized by reconciliation rather than punishment; a preferential recognition of the suffering of the poor and marginalized and a desire to relieve it; and all of that flowing from a fount of unconditional love. As I wrote a few years ago:

Jesus had a mission, to seek and to save what was lost (Luke 19:10). And when Jesus went out, he went out to teach, to heal, to feed, and to share God's love by loving others, which in itself is a radical thing. But his faith, his love, and his compassionate action were threatening to many, from those among the elite to even some among the common people. And they all eventually tried in their own way, whether out of fear, ignorance, misunderstanding, ill will, or attachment to tradition, to take away these treasures he possessed. But try as they may, he wouldn't give them up, even under the threat of death. He held tight to his faith, his love, and his compassion for all of humanity, all the way down to the least among us, and he willingly suffered death on the cross rather than lose them to fear, hatred, selfishness, and inaction. In essence, his life wasn't just about himself, it was ultimately about his relationship to others, to the whole world, and to God. His life was an example to us, a mandala, a living tapestry meant to inspire and hearten us. His life was like a lamp shining forth the bright light of hope into the future in order to guide us and help us not lose our way to the kingdom (or kin-dom) of heaven, that joyful world we wish to one day see, born out of love in action.

And it's ultimately those ideals and our hope in that better world we’re continuously striving towards that lives eternal. The empty tomb means that greed, anger, hatred, ignorance, or even death don't get the final say. It means our contributions to this world aren't in vain. An inspirational leader may die or be killed, but the movement lives on. And I think that's one of the reasons Easter is traditionally when people are baptized and welcomed into this universal community. It means committing ourselves to living these ideals and creating a world in which they reign without distinction. But it won't happen by magic. It won't happen without us changing our own hearts or the world that we've been given to shape.