Dear Friends in Christ—
In scholarly circles, there’s a phrase used to describe how the reign of God works: “already but not yet.” We know the work of Jesus Christ has been accomplished in the world, and we know this world has been redeemed by him. And—at the same time—it’s not over, is it? Already, but not yet.
This weekend asks us to live with this double lens.
Today is Good Friday. We know where it leads—two thousand years later, there’s no surprises about the good news. And yet the liturgical calendar asks us to pause and dwell on suffering on this day, to open our hearts to Jesus as he opened his to us. Today, we know our need for salvation.
Sunday will be Easter Day. The tomb will be empty. We do not forget the suffering that is still very evident in this world. But even as we remember, we proclaim the ultimate victory of life.
It’s already happened. It hasn’t yet happened. We are invited to hold both of those things.
My invitation to you is to embrace the fullness of these sacred days. If you cannot come to worship at Grace today, find another church; if you cannot go to a church, make space in the temple of your heart.
We may be tempted to ignore Good Friday in the bustle of ordinary life; conversely, we are tempted to ignore Easter because we are so wrapped up in its festival trappings. Don’t be fooled by chocolate eggs or even by the pageantry of the liturgy. Easter would teach us about revolution and incendiary hope, nothing less.
God would stretch your soul to the fullest over the next three days. Let it be made large, and let new life so enter in.
Yours in Christ,
Anne+