Easter and Hope

Fred Craddock has suggested that the resurrection appearances of Jesus sent disciples scurrying back to the cross to re-examine what took place there. In every way, prior to Easter Sunday, the cross of Jesus was a dismal failure. The central message of Jesus--the arrival of God's reign--was proven false by the cross. The hope of disciples was shown to be a mirage. The very courage to embrace goodness and righteousness at work in the world was called into doubt. If you think about it, the world was a mighty bitter place on Friday, the day Jesus was executed.

But on Sunday, and the days to follow, when the risen Jesus appeared to disciples and followers, the cross suddenly took on new meaning. In the light of Easter, the cross was seen to be the victory of Christ, rather than his failure. In fact, in light of Easter, the cross became the one place in all of creation that we Christians claim to see God most keenly. There, at the cross, the power and love of God emerge in crystal clarity.

If this all sounds rather elementary, I hope you'll forgive me. I've heard that when the legendary football coach Vince Lombardi welcomed his players to the first day of practice, he began his challenge to them by holding up a ball and announcing, "Gentlemen, this is a football." Perhaps the secret to success is being clear about the most basic things.

This year, as I attempted to walk slowly through Lent (poorly, to be sure), it was the most basic thing of all that impressed me: the resurrection of Jesus sends us back to the cross, with the dawning awareness that the suffering love of God is the greatest power at work in all the world. In other words, from the perspective of Easter we can now see that the love of God that is poured out on the cross will, in God's time, overcome all that resists it.

Here in Michigan, where headlines have been speaking doom and gloom for months, I hope you will find hope here. The reign of God was not destroyed at the cross, but was rather more clearly revealed. Even today, God's reign is utterly consistent with the cross. In suffering love, God is overcoming all that resists his will being done on earth as it is in heaven. Even now, the reign of God is present like a mustard seed, so small that it is sometimes difficult even to find, and yet working quietly, patiently and powerfully by love.

All of this is basic, to be sure. But more and more I cannot help but feel that the decisive thing for being more fully alive is to learn to be present and renewed by that love which Easter faith finds at the cross.