When this weeks seems anything but holy

Howdy! It's been too long since I've written, and I really wanted to get something together for this weekend. I hope you'll read it and enjoy it and pass it along. Much love this weekend as we celebrate the Resurrected Christ!

Original publication date: Friday, March 25, 2016

Random Writer

When this week seems anything but holy 

When I found out about the tragedy in Brussels this week, I have to admit that my heart didn’t quite sink the way it did with the attacks in Paris. It might have had a lot to do with the fact that I wasn’t glued to a television screen like I was that Friday afternoon where play-by-plays of the French incident were read across the airwaves. This week, I was sitting at work and some tweets came my way about the incident. 

And for the news junkie that I am (partly because of this occupation), I wanted nothing more than to sift through the tweets and Facebook feeds of the news stations to learn as much as I could. But admittedly, part of me didn’t. And couldn’t. Because the terror in Paris struck such a chord of fear and anxiety within me that shook me to my core, and because--by the grace of God--I was now in a better place, I knew it wouldn’t do me any good to dive head first into all the news reports. 

I’m not diminishing what happened this week, by any means. Honestly, I’m saddened by the fact that these incidents are so commonplace now. It’s almost like we’ve (or maybe just me) has become so jaded by it all. And I’m sad over the fact that this type of activity happens more often that we’re aware of in the world, and some incidents only get minimal coverage (I don’t want to get bombarded by it all, though). But loss of life is loss of life, no matter where it happens. 

And on the heels of Resurrection Sunday, terrorism and the upcoming election seem to have captivated us, more than it should. Problems that impact us indirectly or issues that we personally have to deal with have clouded our minds. Maybe, just like with the Christmas holiday, we’ve become so busy getting ready for Sunday that we’ve lost the wonder in the upcoming celebration of the risen Savior. 

In a way, maybe it helps us relate to the disciples of Christ. The One they had followed for those few years before had been crucified. The emotion perhaps rocked their souls, crushed their spirits to the point where they had forgotten His prophetic words that He would rise in three days.  

Good Friday is only good because of its result. His death would lead to His resurrection. But in that moment, the brutality of Christ’s crucifixion wasn’t good. It was heart-wrenching. It was ugly to witness. And the prolonged waiting on that sad Saturday didn’t help to diminish those feelings. 

But there is beauty that emerged. That first day of the week, those women arrived to that empty tomb. He wasn’t there the angel said--He had risen! Maybe His words began to reverberate in His followers’ minds. The sadness shifted to shock and then transitioned to a celebration of sorts. He was there. 

All those years ago, Christ’s death, burial and resurrection opened the door for access to Him. To have that soul-saving gift given to us. And after all this time, we can still accept that gift. Let us not be so plagued by the things around us that we lose sight of what this weekend celebrates. Forget the bunny and the candy and the rest of it--we have a risen Savior who, through his sacrifice, offers us life eternal only if we choose to accept it.