Resurrection

I tend to be emotionally involved in most things I do. I operate by my gut. That's a rather visceral comment. All punning aside, my connections and motivations are usually emotionally motivated and grounded. So, if I want to change my approach to something, I find one of the best places to start is with my emotional approach.

For years Palm Sunday and Holy Week have been based in place of frustration about my inability to defend Jesus from the mess that He lived through. Perhaps because I'm growing up, or because I'm more secure and at peace in my home, I realized that this was defining an awful lot of my interactions during this time. Though it was authentic and very real. I decided that perhaps I needed to get out of my knee jerk authenticity and do a better job of modeling the Lord's behavior as He went through His passion.

It was weird how grace and peace slipped over this time that had been a battlefield. It didn't take away the impact of the passion at all. In some ways I sensed more of His pain and struggle because I wasn't in the middle of the whole thing any more.

Now don't get this wrong, it was more complicated than just making a simple decision. I worked on it. I guess that's what Lent's for, working on things. But one day I was talking to somebody about a burden they were carrying, and I brought up Grace and Peace. I reminded them that this was a greeting that Greeks used in their correspondence. 'Grace and Peace be unto you.' I'd never focused on the profound power of that binary vision of life. So I began looking at things with those two as a source and method.

Anyway, to make a long story longer, something changed. There weren't any lightning bolts. Just the opposite. Less lightning and more light.

Easter was different this year. There was just as much stuff to do. There was still the glory and beauty that always blows me away. But there was a real sense of peace that pervaded the whole thing. And it was incredibly more graceful, less turbulent, clearer. And tired though I was, I wasn't so exhausted. Now that's saying something for an old codger.

I hate to say it, but I seem to have learned something. Weird huh?