Easter is the greatest feast of the church.
Christmas is more nostalgic.  ...
But Easter is the definition of Christianity.
To be a Christian is to believe in the resurrection
and all that flows from that. ....

....  You can believe just about anything
happened 2,000 years ago especially if it does
not have anything to do with you today.
The problem is not the resurrection of Jesus.
The problem is not believing nor desiring
our own resurrection. .....
We do not want to be born again. ....
We do not really want a new life;
we have not even figured out
how we love the old one. ....
That means we have not understood Easter.
The new life is precisely unlike the old one.

In resurrection life, all those things that
held us back, all those things that cramped
our style, all those things that made us unhappy
are gone.

In resurrection life,
everyone loves everyone else.
You can reach your hand out to anyone
and not get it cut off.
You can be open and honest with everyone
and not get clobbered.

In resurrection life,
there are no good and bad people,
no male and female people,
no friend and enemy people.
There are just people.

This is a nice kind of life,
but you do not have to die
before you enjoy it.
Life and love and Easter are all around you.
.... The only living proof of the resurrection
of Jesus is us.(stop and think about that
for a moment.) .........
Resurrection does not happen to us someday.
We rise the minute we begin to climb out of
whatever hole we are in;
the minute we begin to get over whatever
it is that is holding us back,
the minute we begin to rise above whatever
is holding us down.

Everlasting life is not a basket of goodies
we get for being good;
Jesus is not the Easter Bunny.

Everlasting life is that certain quality of life
that we lead; that atmosphere of hope
and trust that we breathe,
that aroma of tenderness we exude.

Resurrection or heaven or
the Kingdom of God is
that community of life we build
among ourselves, anytime we are ready.