Christ is Still Risen

Easter is, in all honesty, my favorite holiday. Thanksgiving and Christmas are both lovely holidays and have a magic all their own. However, without Easter, we don’t celebrate Christmas. Without a resurrection, there’s no reason to celebrate a birth. Without a risen Savior, Christianity is empty as the tomb was 2,000 years ago.

“And if Christ has not risen, then our preaching is in vain [it amounts to nothing] and your faith is devoid of truth and is fruitless (without effect, empty, imaginary, and unfounded).” 1 Cor. 15:14 (AMP)

I was really looking forward to Easter this year, as I didn’t celebrate as I normally would while in Germany (I tried… but that’s another story.) I missed attending Resurrection Sunday service, taking communion, enjoying brunch, and eating too many jellybeans. So, as the realization set in that the pandemic would prevent all these activities from taking place, I was bummed. Just add it to the list of everything else this craziness has canceled, I thought. I understand the importance of flattening the curve, but to be disappointed is to be human.

I still kept some traditions - dyed eggs + resurrection cookies!

Thankfully, there is a truth we can still cling to – Christ is still risen. Christ is still risen even though we didn’t sing “Risen” (for the umpteenth Resurrection Sunday) under one roof, or partake in communion physically together, or enjoy brunch with extended family. Christ is still risen amidst a pandemic. Christ is still risen.

"He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." Matthew 28:6 (NKJV)

And that, my friends, is something worth celebrating – every day – but I appreciate the annual reminder of the Cross. I often wonder what that day was like. In the moment of Christ’s death, they had to have known. The heavens roared its dark anguish. The ground shook in its sorrow. The veil in the temple ripped in two. There had to have been a realization that this was what the Scriptures meant. What would it have been like to be a Roman solider executing Jesus? Did the Jews who cried for His death realize what they had done? Did Barabbas ever understand who took his place?

Christ died for all. Even for His executioners. The Jews. Barabbas. You and me.

The monumental act that is Calvary inspired me to write this poem a few years ago, and I’ll leave it as my parting words.

#Easter #Faith #Poetry

Happy Valentine's Day

When it comes to Valentine’s Day, there are a few general opinions you can have. You roll your eyes at the commercialized displays of ‘love’ propagated by Hallmark’s capitalist schemes. Or, you’re hoping your boyfriend will buy you one of those enormous teddy bears and fancy chocolates with rose petals tossed everywhere (otherwise does he even really love you?!) Maybe you’re single and long to have a special someone to celebrate. Or, you’re one of those people, single or coupled, who just does not care.

Personally, I’m a mix of all of these people. Part of me loves the sweet and girly aesthetic of the holiday – pinks and reds, hearts and roses, lace and chocolate. Love is in the air! Another part recognizes that it’s a scam capitalizing on a man’s martyrdom, in the name of love and romance. Little is actually known about the real St. Valentine, but I don’t think he’d love to see his story romanticized and commodified. I’ve also been single for every Valentine’s Day thus far in my 21 years. I’d like to think that I won’t make it a big deal when I do have a boyfriend but no promises (at least get me half-off chocolate on Feb. 15, y’know?).

Regardless of your sentiment towards the holiday, it probably does us some good to have a day set aside to remember and celebrate the people we love in our lives. It’s all too easy to get caught up in mundane routines and take them for granted. We should show our affection with grand gestures – after all, these people choose to deal with us!

Okay, okay, maybe it doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. Little gestures often mean more, anyways. Get up early and make Mom breakfast. Take out the garbage without being told. Surprise your friend at work with their favorite snack. Pray for your friends and family! Write your grandparents a letter and mail it. Call a friend you haven’t talked to in a while. Be social on social media and comment with genuine compliments. Take your aunt out for coffee. Say hi to your neighbor. Plan a family game or movie night. Learn the love languages of your family and friends and speak their language! Encourage a friend who’s been struggling.

What this all boils down to is being more intentional. It’s putting just a little more thought and energy into our relationships, because they are the best investment we can make. The best part is that it doesn’t have to be Valentine’s Day to do it (though the annual reminder is appreciated). I challenge you to make two lists. First, write down things you can do to invest in your relationships; I already got it started for you with the ideas above. Second, write down names of people in your life that you can invest in with the items on your first list. You could also combine the lists; write down names and choose a specific thing to do for each person!

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the Greatest Love on a day like today. Romans 5:8 (AMPC) states, “But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.” Jesus’ love for us so fiercely extravagant that he stepped off His throne of glory in heaven and took our place on that tree, while we were still living unholy and offensive lives. I can’t even wrap my head around what kind of love that is, and here I am struggling to love someone who has different political views as me. That is – as the young people say – a big oof.

Your grand gesture of love doesn’t have to be dying for someone. I don’t think that is a circumstance most of us will find ourselves in. And yet, we can reflect His love through our actions, no matter how big or small.

With that, happy Valentine’s Day, my friends!

#HappyValentinesDay #Love #Relationships #Letterboard