Monday, April 27, 2020
Ellie Sanderson
HOW HAVE YOU FOUND JOY THIS EASTER SEASON?
Reflection on the Joy of Easter
by Ellie Sanderson
From Psalm 100: O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with thanksgiving.
Psalm 100 says it all: Joy, gratitude and service lift us up into the shining joy of the resurrection - in stark relief to the suffering and deep agony of Jesus' death.
In our house, we spend our sheltering days in happiness to be in touch with friends and family as never before, through electronic means that were not even imagined in our early years. Each day we are also mired in darkness as we read the papers and watch the TV news from all over the world. This wave of feeling characterizes a kind of middle range of daily highs and lows, between contentment and agitation.
The miracle of the Easter season gives us a chance to reflect on the heightened range of experience: the extreme horror of the events of Holy Week, suddenly lifted into the unimaginable joy of Jesus' resurrection, revealing the true meaning of the the relationship between God and his son. Jesus, the teacher, provides a lesson in the awareness of pure joy.
We empathize with those who walk in the ways of darkness and depression- those who live in fear. We share in the affirming heights of joyfulness, as we realize that God and Jesus will always be there to guide and buoy us up. They lead us in the way of hopefulness and peace. They restore our souls.
In our neighborhood, this heart-in-the-mouth joy is revealing itself.: the leafing out of the trees; the thrill of finding trout lilies and a robin's egg; noticing inch by inch, row by row, creation's leap into Spring.
Of course, we all miss our physical church and the chance to celebrate together in so many ways. The beauty of the lilies is scented in the imagination. I miss you all every day. My favorite expression of joy is in the depiction of Jesus on the wall over the altar rail. Sunday school children were asked what he is doing. One them replied, “he's skipping rope!” How joyful is that?.