Resurrection Promise
By Kris Judd of Kansas City, MO, USA
Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace-in peace because they trust in you. -Isaiah 26:3 NRSV
I’m not sure resurrection is an extraordinary event as we claim it to be. Until my first university religion course I was sure Christ was resurrected just as the gospel stories claimed, though I wasn’t familiar enough with the scriptures to even know there were varying accounts of what happened that first Easter morning!
The following period of wrestling between intellectual argument and blind faith left me convicted that the resurrection of Jesus was true as metaphor but certainly not as a reality, with a flesh-and-blood body roaming the beaches and actual linen cloths left empty in a vacant tomb.
Over time, life changed, and I witnessed remarkable events. Addicts found healing and hope in sobriety. Abusers repented and the abused forgave. Prostitutes left the streets and testified on behalf of the poor and imprisoned for second chances. Illnesses were healed, and cures even occurred. Love and acceptance within sacred communities nurtured the possibility of new life, and as the Spirit did its transformative work, disease and desolation gave birth to purpose and promise. Resurrection of the dying into new life took place.
Resurrection is extraordinary, but not in the sense that it occurs under unbelievable circumstances. It’s not mysterious or magical. Resurrection may be the ordinary rebirthing of all that God has created to become what is meant to be, a natural rebirth until all men and women of all ages and circumstances experience their inalienable path to joy. Perhaps resurrection is yearning and groaning to occur within us, as well as all of creation at every single moment, but we just haven’t realized it yet. Perhaps resurrection is as natural as breathing.
I believe in resurrection-the resurrection of Jesus 2000 years ago and the promise of mine and yours today.
Prayer Phrase
Spirit, now live in me.
Spiritual Practice
Breathe deeply and enter a few minutes of silence. Be attentive to where you sense new life emerging in you. Search your memories of the previous day. When did you notice the sacredness of life in surprising places or forms in the world around you?
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
