Waiting for the Resurrection

In the darkness of the early morning, I have been awakened by the sounds of birds chirping as they begin their day. Although the forecast is for rain most of the day, the birds do not seem to mind or give it much care. Their eager chirps herald something much more consequential than the inconvenience of more rain and mud. All across my yard, I see signs of the resurrection of life- in my gardens, the shrubbery, even the fish pond. The goldfish and koi have finally come up from the bottom of the pond, where they lingered in the rock caves we built for them. Gone is the pond heater, which maintained a small vent hole in the ice and snow that covered the pond for months. When I walk towards the pond, the fish swim over to the side where I am, eager for a few morsels of food and attention. As daylight dawns, more birds join in the glorious symphony they are performing in the trees and bushes that surround my house. They know spring is here, the time of the earth's resurrection from its long winter sleep is upon us.

As Lent comes to its close, I find that I too am awaiting celebrations of resurrections. This week, we will celebrate the resurrection of a parishioner. Her time in darkness is behind her. She has ascended into the perpetual light of the kingdom of God.  I will journey to Cincinnati to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the death of a childhood friend. Her friends and family will gather together at the Jewish cemetery to remove the veil that covers her burial marker, allowing her soul to ascend to God. Holy Week draws near. Though it will draw us into the darkness of Jesus' passion and death, it will also bring us into the light of Christ' resurrection, a resurrection without which, there would be no springtime of our souls.

It is spring- the season to celebrate the rebirth of the energy of life that surrounds us, the time to celebrate not only our liberation from the cold harsh winter just passed, but most importantly the time to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus the Christ, who by his sacrifice ensures us of the eventual resurrection of our souls.