I was driving down 2nd Street the other day. I had just spent the night at a retreat where I had not slept and discovered a tick attached to my body. I missed my family and was anxious to get home. The three-hour drive was near complete and I was tired and ready to be out of my car. Then something awful happened, well not real awful, just that kind of awful that feels awful in the moment because it gets in the way. Two cars in front of me someone was going only 15 miles per hour. The car directly behind the slow car and right in front of me was obviously in a hurry as well, because the driver made sure to be riding as close as possible behind the slow car, slightly moving side to side with those jerky motions that signals the irritation anyone who drives is familiar with and too many of us have done ourselves. I understood the irritation of the driver, for what reason could the first driver have to proceed so slowly, to show so little concern for those who are driving behind?
As we continued this parade of slowness for another couple of seconds my sight was caught by a bright pink color off to the side. I turned my head and encountered a gorgeous spectacle. A magnificent shrub of some kind was in full bloom, and offered a bouquet of this dark, yet brilliant, pink flower. Its beauty sung to me of spring. In my somewhat foul mood I had forgotten that spring was in the air. The pleasant warm weather coupled with the strange yellow dust, which covers everything in these parts this time of year, obviously did not do the trick. I needed this awesome reminder of pink flowers. Immediately my heart warmed to the idea of spring and my gaze searched for other clues as to its arrival. Yes there was more, a certain small tree with little white flowers only beginning to bloom, gently screaming to me that they were alive. The large trees, which canopy some of the more beautiful streets in this town, covered with green buds also announcing life, announcing spring. In the moment I was caught up staring at it all, I was caught up in spring, I was caught up in life.
Not long ago this same drive, one I make very often, was bare and void of this beauty, or even any glimmer of the potential for the beauty in which I was immersed. Yet now in this moment the colors, the life, gently assaulted my vision, gently proclaimed to me, “Garrett we are alive.” I kept looking around to gather more proof of this liveliness, more proof of another spring season. I smiled at it all as it smiled back at me, and with that smile I remembered I was driving and looked ahead. The cars that caused my distress were much further in front of me as I now discovered that I was only going 10 miles per hour. Sure enough I looked in the rearview mirror and found someone riding close behind me, moving side to side with those jerky motions to ensure I was aware of the irritation I was causing.
I love spring because Easter happens in spring. I always remember Easter celebrations fondly, because it is the time when churches I have been a part of always seemed most alive. It makes sense I suppose, Christ is alive, not dead, he was just dead, but now he is alive! The church is in full joy, people are there, I wonder if more come on Easter because they know the church will be more alive on Easter, it will be a celebration on Easter.
I guess if I was not a church going person I would be more apt to go on Easter. When life was so obviously celebrated. When the drudgery of religion was set aside, at least for a day, and we celebrated life and church felt alive.
Someone who recently visited our church told me that it felt alive to them. I do not think I understood the power of that statement until just now… our church does feel alive! Sure we may not be unique in feeling that way, and creation at spring does it far better, but we are alive in the Spirit and alive with each other. You all can describe it far better than I can, or maybe not all of you, but you know what I mean. We are alive! When Easter comes to us this year proclaiming life, gently, or not so gently, shouting to us that Christ is alive and therefore so are we, I hope we hold onto this celebration. I hope that in the middle of summer, at the beginning of autumn, and in the cold of winter visitors still think we feel alive in the Spirit, alive with excitement, alive… because Christ is alive in us, giving us a hope and joy that we always want to share! Get caught up in this Easter life so that others get caught up too!
Riding the wave of the Holy Spirit,
Garrett
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