Hope is Living

 

As the wind howled and the temperatures plummeted, all manner of things were blown about the church grounds. Plastic grocery sacks. Coffee cups. Discarded masks. Water bottles. Empty potato chip bags. But to me, by far the most interesting object was this plastic egg.

Left from last Easter’s celebration, this lone, forgotten egg must have finally been shaken loose from where it had been hidden in the limbs of a tree or the branches of a bush. This symbol of Spring seemed oddly out of place in the harsh winter weather. There was no warm sunshine to greet it or laughing children racing to find it. But, there it was. It had been there all this time.

The egg has long been a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus. This is the ultimate hope, that death does not get the final word. This is the bedrock of the faith, that not even death can separate us from the love of God. All this is a bit easier to embrace on Easter morning in the buzz of the excited crowds and soaring music and energized children. It is easy to say with gusto, “Christ is Risen!”

But time goes by and life settles in and circumstances wear us down. The winds blow and we are battered by disappointment. Hope fades and struggle comes. But as this lone Easter egg reminds us, the truth and power of the resurrection is always with us. The resurrection, and the hope it brings, is our constant through all the seasons of life.

We read in 1 Peter, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..” That hope is living, even when it is difficult to see and feel. Even on cold winter days we can say with confidence, “Christ is risen!”

Peace.