Photograph of my mom and dad along with my sister and I.  I’m the one in front on the left.

It’s only been two weeks since we celebrated Easter in a totally different way.  Our rejoicing was muted.  Our voices were somewhat silent.  Our hearts were filled with the message that because Jesus was resurrected, we will be too.  We shared a ham dinner.  We Zoomed with family.  It was strange, because we couldn’t be together with friends and family.

Now those weeks have past and I’m ready for a recharge.  In a world cocooned because of a microscopic germ, where is the joy?  It does still exist, whether we can see it or hear it, or not.  Jesus rose from the grip of death, on the third day after His bloody crucifixion. He had suffered the scourge, beyond human endurance. He carried His cross on His weakened back, as those who only a week before praised Him as their King.  They now mocked and jeered – spat in his face and hurled insults at Him.

We as a people generally thrive on togetherness.  This Easter we were deprived of it, yet our Savior willingly gave up everything so that we could inherit His Kingdom in heaven. The joy is still there.  We weren’t able to shout our Alleluias or sing praises with a choir.  Our voices were silenced, but our joy still remains.

The gift of salvation is something we should carry with us every day.  We have been blessed with a loving God, who gave the ultimate sacrifice to give us eternal life.  The grave couldn’t hold Him.  He returned to life and lives on as we will too someday.

What we’re enduring right now is nothing compared to what He gave up for us.  Now is the time for us to love one another, as He commanded before His death.  Now is the time to share the good news with others so they can be blessed by it. Now is the time to thank God for His mercy.  Now is the time to look at what’s really important – to set aside the material things – to work with what we’ve got – to help each other – to reach out with social media or whatever tools we have at hand.

We’ve been given this time of quiet to meditate on what’s really important.  Let’s remember the greatest gift given to humanity over two thousand years ago.  Jesus is alive and we are forgiven.  He is risen indeed.