Lent and Our Grief

Letting Easter Happen On Easter Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Church altars are banked with lilies, choirs present stirring anthems, preachers deliver enthusiastic messages, and readings from the New Testament tell the story once again. Apparently, persons need very deeply to hear the accounts of the resurrection and to ponder what it might mean, because on Easter church pews are filled and there is a palpable sense of hope and expectation. The church proclaims that Jesus was raised from death, that sin and death have been defeated, and that we who believe share the victory of Christ.

Everything about Easter ought to be of comfort to the person who is dealing with the loss of a loved one. The message of life and the spirit of celebration should be reassuring to one who is working through grief. But that is not always the case. The person who is grieving might feel left out of things. While everyone else seems to be having a party, he is conscious of pain and emptiness.

In a sense, the church follows the calendar and "makes" Easter happen. (Unfortunately, few churches continue the celebration of the resurrection through the full seven weeks of the Season of Easter.) One who wants to absorb the Easter message might continue a personal journey and "let" Easter happen in his heart. The first Easter was not an occasion of great fanfare. It came quietly to individuals who were seeking the Christ. It comes anew to those who allow it to take hold of them.

J. William Harris
April 2009