Easter Monday
Each year Easter Sunday is followed by a Monday. And it's usually just a Monday. It doesn't even get the dignity of being dubbed "Easter Monday."
Seems reasonable to downplay the day in light of the day before. Easter Sunday, Resurrection Day is the pinnacle of the Christian calendar. To live in the truth of Easter Sunday is to live in joy unspeakable, life unbelievable, and grace undeniable. To live in the truth of Easter Sunday is to allow ourselves to be elevated to a vantage point where vision is calibrated by the truth of God's Word, hearts are tuned to the voice of the Spirit, and hands are held ready to serve at the pleasure of the King. On Easter Sunday we believe in earnest and worship with abandon. Our dedication to the celebration of new life shows in our swishy floral skirts and crisp, clean oxford shirts. Our desire to rejoice in the victory of the open tomb is evident as we lift our voices in joyful song and whole heartedly engage in the communal life of the redeemed.
But then comes Monday. The new dress hangs alongside winter worn sweaters and too-tight jeans. Freshly starched oxford shirts huddle crumpled together in the laundry bin. The gray midwestern cold belies the date on the calendar, taunting the whiff of new life in the air. The community of redeemed souls has scattered, like sleet on the windshield, landing and melting but never quite connecting with each other as they go.
As a follower of Christ, I know that the resurrection changed everything. Everything from that day forward—not just everything for Easter Sunday. The empty tomb is the only thing guaranteeing a full and eternal life. The risen Christ is the only One who can keep me from falling. The blood spilled from my Savior's veins is the only thing that can wash this dingy sin-stained soul clean. Communion with the Spirit is the only way to live in security and peace in our unpredictable, turbulent world.
Gracious Father, loving Son, faithful Holy Spirit, help me to live in the light of Resurrection Sunday today and every hazy uncertain Monday. May the truth and wonder of the empty tomb light the way before me, illuminate the shadowed corners of my soul, flood my heart with brilliant joy, and spill over to those who cross my path—all for your glory. Amen