Devin Strong, Spirit of Peace Lutheran

Easter is behind us now, so we can get back to Spring Break, the opening weeks of Major League Baseball, and preparing for prom. But is it over? For Christians in the liturgical tradition, Easter is actually an entire season, lasting for 50 days until Pentecost. Even more, Easter is a way of life.

Culturally speaking, Easter does not hold nearly the sway that, say, Christmas or Halloween do. Google tells me that the average American household spends only $195 on Easter—mostly for food.

This is a drop in the bucket compared to those other holidays. For many, it might be an excuse to buy a new outfit or a chance to have the family over for dinner, but pretty soon it’s time to do the dishes and get ready for work the next day.

But for the devout believer, Easter is much more than the annual recognition of an event long past. Easter is the day when the universe shifted on its axis. It is the moment that Jesus broke out of the grave and defeated the power of death forever. For sure, there is still pain and trouble in the world. We all know that, but because of Easter, we also know that the ways of the world cannot win. In fact, violence and greed, sickness and malevolence, have already lost. We just don’t realize it yet. Easter opens up a whole new way of living in the world.

During the Easter season, the First Readings on Sunday mornings, usually reserved for passages from the Old Testament, are chosen from the Acts of the Apostles because, more than any other book in the New Testament, Acts depicts what a post-resurrection life can look like.

In the Gospels we see that Jesus’ disciples can run both hot and cold. Sometimes they are courageous and faithful, but other times, these same guys—Peter and the others— are completely self-centered and obtuse! The Book of Acts describes life for the Lord’s early followers after Jesus has been raised and ascended back into heaven. The disciples are on their own, or so it would seem, except that the Holy Spirit shows up in Acts 2 and rests on each one of them. All of a sudden, these wouldbe Christians are preaching with passion, healing people, and standing up against worldly powers like never before. Peter and the others are the same sinful people that they were in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The difference is Easter. Jesus is on the loose now as God’s Spirit, and he begins to work in and through them.

The question is, can we let God work in us and on us this Easter season? I am the first to admit that Easter can be a process. A person is not necessarily filled with joy and new life just because we have reached a certain day on the calendar. Sometimes Jesus’ loving presence sneaks up on us. Other times we become aware that God’s love is gradually building up in us, causing us to behave differently.

You and I need more than one day for Jesus’ resurrection to take root in us!

So I say, let it happen. Pray; open yourself up to new people and new service opportunities; read the transformational stories in Acts. Easter is more than one day. In fact, God is just getting started!