A Light through the Darkness

As I sit to write, a cold blast of wind from the north has darkened the sky, caused the tree branches to twist and turn, plant leaves quiver and we are plunged into the turmoil of a ‘Holy Week’.

What does the natural world know that she expresses so dramatically?  “There is darkness all around our world” I seem to hear her cry.  Or is it simply the cry of my soul that I hear through nature?  I see the faces of small children who have been abused, abandoned through drugs, hungry and lost.  I hear of wars being raged and innocent people killed each day.  I hear of guns and knives used against school children, of the destruction of our land under the label of ‘construction’.  I see pictures of animals frightened and chained and a voice comes across the screen ‘will you care for them’?

“Is there any hope?”  I feel my soul cry out.  “Will we ever learn to truly love?”

And as I sit in my warm and protected space, silence floods my mind and heart.  A sense of solitude opens me to a solidarity bursting from with the paradox of life. And in my time of contemplation, the sun burst forth through the darkness.

Is there hope?  When I hear of a 25 year old man working to address the violence in youths by creating job training programs YES!  When I see young people gathering to form communities of service in our world – YES!  And where men and women reach out across the gender, age, race, economic divides in our country – YES!

Scripture says that Jesus was raised from the darkness of death.  His words to the women who came to his tomb to care for his body were ‘don’t cling to me, but go and tell the good news’.  This is the Easter message.  Be raised up from the darkness of death that is part of our life.  Go and tell others the good news that out of darkness New Life is truly rising!

May Easter blessings open our eyes to the wonder of New Life, may our hearts open to an unconditional Love beating today and may our souls be filled with a life fulfilling hope so that together we can proclaim

                   He is Risen!  Alleluia!  Alleluia!   Alleluia!