‘Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way’ is a memoir by Pope John Paul II, drawing from his experiences from the time he was first appointed a Bishop until his election as Pope. It is a good read that I enjoyed 10 plus years ago. It is a call to action: a pulling of the church towards mercy, strength, unity and peace.
As you know, Easter is about a ‘rising’, namely Jesus from the dead. This event created a cosmic shift in the relationship between God and creation. It was and is the greatest moment in history, forever changing the past, present and future.
But it isn’t the only ‘rising’ that can should take place!
You too are to rise. You are come up, get out, be done with, move on. This, of course, is easier said than done. But then again, so too was the resurrection of a man who was dead for about 3 days, Son of God or not. And the same power, the same Spirit, that brought Jesus back to life is available to you and I. This Divine power can bring you out of whatever circumstance you are in and give you new life. A force that doesn’t stop at bringing you out of your pain or lethargy, but more, it’s a power that compels you to move out and beyond in mercy, love and grace.
This is the season of resurrections. Paul wrote about it this way in his first letter to the church in Corinth: “For as in the Adam all die, thus also in the Christ all shall be made alive.”
The Easter Sunday, do more than celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus….make the decision to rise yourself. And with God’s power in your life, just like Christ, you will.
