Resurrection. Alleluia!

No, the title’s not a mistake. In the Christian Church, the season of Easter lasts from Resurrection Sunday (what we call Easter) until Pentecost, 50 days later. So it’s still Easter. I’d planned to write and post this piece last week but during that marathon Lyric Choir weekend another one called to be written.

Perhaps it’s the time of year but recently I was asked what I believe about resurrection. In responding to the question, I seem to have moved the topic from the back of my mind to the front and, though my thoughts are no more complete now than they were before all this, I’ve been considering it further.

Resurrection

1. The act of restoring a dead person, for example, to life.
2. The condition of having been restored to life.
3. The return of Jesus to life on the third day after the Crucifixion.
4. The restoration of the dead to life at the Last Judgment.
5. The act of bringing back to practice, notice, use, or vibrancy; revival.*

As far as hard-to-believe Biblical claims, the Resurrection of Christ is right up there with the virgin birth (Matthew 1), a global flood (Genesis 7), and Joshua’s really long day (Joshua 10). Yet some of those who had known Jesus when he was alive and walking through Palestine, and Paul who hadn’t, experienced Christ’s presence – after he was known to have been executed – in a very real way. And after these encounters with the living Christ, their lives went in completely new directions. They risked, and in many cases, accepted death rather than recant what they had said. An unwillingness to withdraw one’s story in the face of violent death validates (for many, at least) their stories.

So, yes, I believe that something happened, something life-changing. Beyond that, I see no reason to puzzle over it. It’s like what happens after we die. Something happens (or it doesn’t) but until we die we don’t know what, and can’t, so why fuss? Yes, I believe my death will not be the end but I don’t waste life energy trying to puzzle out what that might be. God knows; that’s enough.

But that’s less than 400 words and the definition above offers five (!) understandings of resurrection so now I get to my purpose in writing.

God makes me lie down in green pastures, leads me beside still waters, and restores my soul. Psalm 23:2-3a

Imagine an acorn growing in the green warmth of spring and summer. It knows nothing but the oak tree. In autumn, the only life it has known ends when it tumbles to the ground. As dry leaves bury it, the sun’s light dims and disappears. All is darkness. Winter’s cold comes. Imagine it thinking, “This must be death” as it yields itself to nothingness.

We know that an acorn is a seed, a promise of new life. But if we were in the acorn’s “shoes,” we wouldn’t know that. We would see only an end.

I appreciate living in the Northern Hemisphere because a springtime Easter makes it so easy to believe in resurrection. Yet God is about God’s business of renewing, restoring, and resurrecting all the time – “making all things new” as we sang last week. I’ll borrow from Talitha Arnold’s devotion, as we think about the above verse:

“Who is one person who helped restore your soul?
Who has led you to green pastures and still waters?
Who has walked with you through the valleys of the shadows of death?
Who has anointed you and filled your cup to overflowing?”

Do you really suppose that God doesn’t have a hand in the comfort and renewal others provide? If God as Spirit nudges me to be that person – and she does – then surely God leads others to do the same. Maybe, pause here to consider a moment when you have been that person.

Being with Kay for a few days this week restored my soul. After completing a first draft, my cup was refilled as I walked on the Ringle portion of the Ice Age Trail. Mother’s phone call after that led me toward still waters. The word isn’t used in the 23rd Psalm but, as far as I’m concerned, the poem is all about resurrection. Some people find themselves resurrected after a loved one’s death. Some, after mending a relationship. When I left my marriage, I was counting on God’s resurrecting love to lead me into new life. And it has.

This is not to say that the way isn’t still difficult, sometimes to the point of desperation (more on that another time). But for today, I’ll work on resting in God’s green place. I hope you can too.