Jesus Christ IS Risen TODAY

ALLELUIA!! ALLELUIA!! ALLELUIA!!

He is Risen!!

My favorite Easter Hymn is used as the recessional at so many Parishes on Easter morning: Jesus Christ is risen today. This glorious and joyful declaration should mean even more to us THIS Easter.

We all know what makes this Easter so different: rather than hearing these words live and in person, we hear it over a broadcast on our television or the internet. The world is in the grips of this virus that has taken so many lives, and lathered on top of that is the anxiety and fear that comes with our being reminded of it everywhere we turn as we strap on face masks and gloves to go to the grocery store.

But notice those words: Jesus Christ IS risen, today! He IS risen! We don’t sing, “Jesus Christ rose from the dead on this day 2,000 years ago.” We sing, “Jesus Christ IS risen today!” He is risen today, he was risen yesterday, and he still will be tomorrow! Jesus Christ rose from the dead, to live forever! He will never die again. He is just as risen for us today as he was for the women who discovered the empty tomb 2,000 years ago.

This has been a year that has been jam packed with change for me personally. When I sit back and consider how much my life has changed since we last celebrated Easter I am completely floored. I don’t think a single stone was left unturned. There is one thing however that has remained: Jesus Christ is risen…through it all.

The realities of COVID-19 remind each and every one of us that we have no idea what lies ahead in the days from now until we celebrate these sacred days again. However, we know there is one thing that will not change: Jesus Christ will still be risen, through it all…forever and always…through all our tomorrows.

I used to always challenge the people in the Parish on Easter Sunday to shout the word “Alleluia” from the rooftops as they went about their day: whether they went to lunch at Greggs, or their family table. Today we won’t gather in person, but my challenge remains the same. Scream it!! Shout it on social media, via text, or via phone calls. Whatever avenues you have to reach the outside world, remind them that Jesus Christ IS risen, TODAY!! This truth is what gives our lives meaning and purpose.

Sometimes when we read the stories about this pandemic it almost seems like its unstoppable…but it’s not. Sometimes we find ourselves facing tragedy and sorrow that seems like it cannot be defeated. Sometimes when we feel beaten down and weary we find ourselves searching for something…anything…that we can hang our hat on as a real guarantee. What is unstoppable, what cannot be defeated, and what is an absolute guarantee is the truth that we celebrate on this beautiful Easter morning: Jesus Christ IS risen today! ALLELUIA!!