An Easter Message
The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop
The Episcopal Church
The light returns and the days lengthen, even if it remains startlingly dark as we rise these days — daylight savings time is not always a blessing so early in the year! Christians, however, look for light even in the midst of darkness, for we know that darkness will not overcome it. The rising of the Son brings light into lives filled with grief, agony, and despair. Are you searching for the light of new life?
Easter recollects us and reorients us toward God’s eternal light of truth and peace and love. The resurrection is the ultimate proclamation that nothing can separate us from that light, not despair or destruction or death. We see hints of that resurrection all around us once our eyes have learned to look, and we continue to hope for its fullness, for the blessing of a light so encompassing that there can be no darkness or separation. Lent has been a willingness to experience the darkness of our current separation and tune our yearning for that light. Carry that yearning into Eastertide, and beyond, that we and the world around us may know the blessing of the light of Christ.
Easter 2009
________________________
A frightening lack of any theology (or even mention!!) of the cross. How can you talk of Easter without the Cross? There is no mention of the forgiveness of our sins – atonement – the fact that God’s resurrection has set us free from bondage.
If this was a short paper on Easter for a class, I would mark it a fail. My comment would be – a shallow, amateurish, misunderstanding of the meaning of Easter.
Very Sad. An opportunity to preach the grace of the gospel – the atonement of our sins – that our separation from Christ has been dealt with on the cross and through the resurrection – that we can be reconciled to the Father – is missed by one of our leaders of the Church. Very sad indeed.
