Give me joy in my heart keep me praising!
Picture the scene. I was standing at the front
of a full church with the bride and groom
standing in front of me, and her father and
the Best Man to either side. The church was
full of such a joyous sound as everyone
belted this song out enthusiastically, the
bride and her father at one point even
breaking into harmony! You could feel the
delight and celebration in the room! I loved
that moment!
...a bubble of Easter joy...
Afterwards I thought to myself, "This is
what it should feel like to be a Resurrection
people." Let me explain why I think this.
I think most people, when asked to look
beyond the eggs and the bunnies, to
the meaning of Easter, will think of the
image of a cross. On Good Friday we
do think of Jesus’ suffering. Maybe you
know these words from the hymn
When I survey the wondrous cross...
“did e’er such love and sorrow
meet, or thorns compose
so rich a crown”
It is important to remember
his suffering, because we
know that Jesus will be
beside in our own dark
times, understanding
and holding us close.
But that is not the
point of Easter! The point is that Jesus was totally innocent, but went through pain and
death for us, taking all our sins upon himself, so that those sins are no
longer a barrier between ourselves and God. By dying for us and defeating
death and returning to life on Easter day, he allowed us to have eternal life
with him in his Kingdom now - and for ever.
When he appeared to a grieving Mary on that first Easter Day, he turned
the disciples’ grief into JOY, a joy that stayed with them through all their
subsequent trials. That same joy is available to us today.
I know that joy. When I stopped resisting and accepted God’s plan
(not at all mine!!) to be a priest, I felt a bubble of joy deep inside me.
Years later, when the worst happened and I lost my beloved husband, I
looked to see if that "bubble" was still there. And to my amazement it
was! It never goes away.
So, Easter should be a time of smiles and noisy celebration. Sing loudly,
eat chocolate and enjoy a wonderful Easter lunch. But most of all go to
church and sing loud praises. However, Resurrection People (that is what
followers of Jesus are) do not leave their joy in church or throw it away
with the Easter Egg packaging.
May we bubble with joy all year and share that joy by showing kindness
and compassion to everyone we meet!
With every blessing,