Easter As A Way of Life

I recently came across a great website. It's www.explorefaith.org. On this website it provided a great way for folks to make Easter more then just a weekend experience. We Quakers don't often follow the Liturgical Calendar (or Christian calendar) very religiously. Being folks that don't get too much into ceremony or ritual, we often don't pay attention to it. But, sometimes the Christian calendar can be a great way to be mindful of our own spiritual journey in such a way that intersects with everyday living. What the Explore Faith website does is provide a great way for individuals to make Easter a way of life for the next 50 days. In fifty days, the church will celebrate what is typically known as Pentecost. This is a time in which the coming of the Holy Spirit is recognized and celebrated. But, until then, what would it look like if each day we made the resurrection miracle a daily event...and not just a weekend gig. Here is the link to the website: http://www.explorefaith.org/explore_faith/explore_christianity/holy_days/easter/calendar/easter_calendar.php

As part of explaining Easter as a way of life, here is a helpful thought provided by the folks at Explore Faith:

"But the Easter story is not only an experience, an event. It is a way of life. The resurrection of Jesus created the hope in Christians that death is never the end—resurrection is. We not only look forward to an eternal future with the Holy One, we have the opportunity to experience Easter moments in the midst of our everyday lives. We know that death and sorrow stand nearby — whether it be physical death, the loss of a job, the loss of a relationship, the loss of a dream —but resurrection also waits to be noticed at the edges of our life. We have all known the wonder of a healing, a new job, a new love, a new dream being born out of the agony of hopelessness. Making Easter a way of life means that we are unwilling to settle for death in any of its forms. We are unwilling to give up hope and belief that new life is always being offered to us by heaven. We are unwilling to be ground down by grief when God's goodness is extended to us. Making Easter a way of life means that we turn our eyes toward resurrection each and every day, searching for its signs, believing in its truth, living into its glory."

I especially like the way they remind us that "death is never the end" but that resurrection is. I also like how they remind us that resurrection "waits to be noticed at the edges of our life." I realize, then, that maybe the reason I don't often see Easter happening in my life is that I am not taking the time to notice. We have become a very distracted society and it's not as easy to "notice" or "pay attention" to what is going on around us. Maybe Easter is happening all around us but we simply are not able to notice. Maybe, also, the reason I don't notice is that I might spend too much time paying attention to the things in life that deadening...a deadening attitude, a deadening vision, a deadening disposition, deadening entertainment. In other words, it's easier to spend time with things that deaden the soul rather then wake up the soul.

Let's look for Easter at the edges of our lives and let's remind ourselves that death is never the end....whether it be physical death, the death of our dreams, the death of our hope, or the death of our joy. Death is never the end. Resurrection and life have had the final word and they call us to live!