Easter Sunday: "your turn"

He is risen! Easter Sunday is a day that is clothed in surprise and mystery. After all, we know better than that... we know that when people die, they're dead. We know that once someone checks into the grave, there's no checking out. But here he is! The poor man from Nazareth who challenged the greatest military super-power in world history has emerged from the tomb--alive! This Jesus has defeated death itself, God has united Godself with all that pains this world and through resurrection has redeemed it.

Yesterday, Holy Saturday, was the last day of Holy Week. The seed was planted. Today, Easter Sunday, offers a whole new week. The garden of new life is springing up in our midst. It is the first day of New Creation. God has truly become king over this earth and we are in the first moments of the implementation of God's dominion.

Let there be light! Resurrection hope illuminates a space that was once occupied by darkness.

And what better way to celebrate a day such as this than to dance... Last year on Easter Sunday, people from all over the world (from 39 cities, to be more exact) danced the same dance in celebration of the resurrection. I think it's a beautiful symbol, not only of celebration but also of the borderless kingdom of God.

You see, when Christ emerged from the grave he didn't imply that that was it. He did not say, "ok, cool. Now you can just hang out here and enjoy the resurrection." No. For Jesus, enjoying the resurrection means living and loving according to the victory of Jesus. It means implementing what God has done in the life of the world. Jesus returned humanity back to what it was originally meant to be and so now humanity can do what it was originally meant to do--bear the image of God in the world, which is essentially what Jesus did that lead him to the cross.

With scars on his body, Jesus says to his disciples, "as the Father sent me, now I'm sending you... receive the Holy Spirit." He essentially says, " your turn..."

The drama has been written, the song composed. The dance of new creation has been choreographed and we are called and invited to dance that dance wherever we are in God's world. We are invited to live resurrection lives, lives which refuse to concede to the power of death and hate. On this resurrection Sunday, it's our turn. It's our turn to live the life of love which Jesus lived and to embrace the reality that all things are being made new through the glorious work of Jesus. The tomb of death has been opened to a garden of New Life. Let us emerge with Jesus renewed and restored. Happy Easter!

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