Slivers of Light

Children when they are young will often ask that a light be left on at nighttime.  They are somewhat fearful of going to sleep in complete darkness.  As a result, the parents may leave a hallway or bathroom light on and crack the door so that slivers of light will enter the darkness of the child’s bedroom.  The light is comforting to the child as they drift off to sleep.
          

As we celebrate Easter this month we are reminded once again that at Easter, God did not simply crack open the tomb of Jesus, but God completely rolled away the stone.  The good news of Easter is that in the resurrection of Jesus, we do not simply receive a sliver of God’s light, but instead we experience the fullness of God’s glory.  Prior to Easter we lived in the darkness of the human condition.  At Easter, God’s light shines into the darkness illuminating our lives with hope and joy.  On Easter Sunday we celebrate the good news that the darkness of sin and death is overcome in the light and power of the resurrection.  Soren Kierkegaard, the great Danish philosopher once said,  "The story of Easter is the story of God's wonderful window of divine surprise."  One could easily state as well that at Easter, God opened the door fully and surprised the world with the good news of our Lord’s resurrection.  The women who found the empty tomb experienced it that first Easter and the good news has been spreading forth as light into the darkness ever since.
          

As Easter approaches let us once again receive the good news of our Lord’s resurrection with joy and praise.  Let us go forth from the empty tomb and tell of God’s grand surprise.  Death and sin have been defeated!
Jesus lives!  God’s light is shining!