Easter Monday

‘God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses.’  (Acts2)

So, we have survived the crowds here in church this weekend, and all the festivities and foods and parties – all meant to assist us in celebrating Jesus’ Resurrection, and the new life he has brought into our world. 

So, it would be fair to ask you, do you feel any different this morning – other than tired?  In a world that is still broken in so many ways, where are the effects of Jesus’ Resurrection?  Where do we find our hope?

I remember reading an article by the Rev. William Sloane Coffin who suggested that hope is a state of mind.  And because it is a state of mind, it really is independent of the world in which we live.

He said that if our heart is full of hope, we can be persistent even when we cannot be optimistic.  We can keep the faith despite whatever is swirling all around us in our lives.  On top of that, he also said that it is only in having hope that we can have any chance of changing the things in the world around us.  He concluded, “So, while I am not optimistic, I am always very hopeful.”

The disciples knew they had no choice but to proclaim the Good News of Jesus’ Resurrection everywhere they went.  They knew that if they refused to do that, there was no hope that the world around them would ever change.  The same is true for us.  The only hope we have of seeing improvements is if we remain hope-filled people, and if we go forth to give witness to the power of Jesus’ Resurrection everywhere we go.  For then will we assist in the building of the Father’s Kingdom of true and lasting peace.