Easter Song

It is time--finally; this and right now, is the time for Easter!

Photo by Libby Penner on Unsplash

Where I live, there is clearly an eruption of beauty happening. The long, cold grip of winter’s gray is over. Earth is alive, awakening from a long, dark season of death and destruction. Everywhere I look, there is the actual proof that our long winter of discontent of hurricane and flood; fires and evacuation is over.

Spring has finally come and with this spring, comes an Easter Song!

Easter makes everything different. Easter offers the promise of transformation—first in the Earth—then in us.

Living in a climate where all four seasons are on full display, reminds me that the grip of winter’s death and the harsh disillusionment is not going to last forever. I need this kind of reminder and here in my weather zone, I am gladly reminded every single day.

Maybe you’re not in a geo-zone where you’ve seen such harshness of weather like we have here in Western North Carolina, but all one has to do is look to the inner weather—the events of our own lives to see how hard the winter has been. If you were the “weatherman” or “weatherwoman”—how would you give expression to the weather of your own soul over this past few months or year? I learned from an old Augustinian monk, to use the “inner weather” as a metaphor to how my soul was actually doing. I use that metaphor often with people I do life with. It’s a simple way of trying to describe the state of one’s soul.

Some of us may use words like these to describe our past few months:

Disappointments.

Devastation.

Distress.

Disillusionment.

It’s a lot of “d” words to describe a lot of inner deaths.

So many small and large deaths-we have all died this past year.

But, here is the truth for sure, Easter is coming and Easter makes everything different.

Every tree I see is marked now with life; hues of pink; lilacs of purple, azaleas dressed in regal splendor. One does not even have to believe in Jesus to know that a page has turned—a long, dark chapter is now done. Something new has happened indeed. But because I do believe in the Resurrection story—not only of creation but of Jesus, then I have even more reason for inner joy; deep satisfaction and can lay down clouds of anxiety about the future.

Easter gives me the reminder that a long winter makes me forget.

Earth’s resurrection is one sure proof to me that the Creator of Life means to now bless us with an abundance of life now—all experienced in our senses. Now, what is ours to do is this: To practice this resurrection every day of our lives. Resurrection needs to be practiced because some of us have been so gripped and so disillusioned that resurrection could look more than a step by step journey out of the tomb, than a leap. But whether it is a step or a leap—the important thing is to move forward now into our own personal Easter.

I wrote my poem, “Easter Song” to give expression to my own five senses—my own five ways of experiencing that, surely, a new season is now here. I wrote, “Easter Song” because the words came flowing out of a sudden within me just this morning. The words came like the eruption of this spring life has come: suddenly; powerfully and an inner sign of my own greening—my own resurrection. I so want this to continue. I want to live with an Easter frame of mind and heart.

This is not to say that I don’t have the tugs of winter within me. I feel this tug when reading a text of a family member’s plight. I feel the tug of winter’s grip, when learning of another tragedy that ruined someone’s life. I feel the tug when waves of worry flood in me. But more than the tug; more than the reality of so much heartache, I am flooded with this Easter Song.

I wrote “Easter Song” to celebrate the aliveness in my own heart and the greening in my own soul. It’s time now to celebrate this fact of new beginnings and new life.

I hope this poem might offer words of hope to many of you who know the grip of death—all too close and real.