Easter Hope
Easter, the celebration of life and love overcoming death, has come and gone. Our celebration was modest, as it was a day like any other for our Muslim neighbors. Part of our Easter observance was a walk in the Almond Gardens about 20 minutes from our home. The almond trees put on an extravagant demonstration of the power of life and beauty to burst out of dead-looking gray wood.
But I had an even more beautiful Easter experience: I received an apology from a friend. It came in the form of an email message, quite unexpectedly, asking forgiveness for a past offense. It was a joy to respond. What a sign of hope: our relationship is given new life!
Near our home, this old man was planting trees along the border of his field. As I watched him I was reminded that before a tree can bear leaves, blossoms, and fruit, it has to be planted and put down roots. New hope, love, and life don’t appear magically just because it’s Easter. Forgiveness is costly; the resurrection only happened because Someone was willing to die. I’ll be keeping my eyes open for barren spots, barren hearts, where the work of planting forgiveness and hope can start.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged Easter by Lisa