Easter is all about resurrection - what one person described as Jesus going through death and coming out the other side. I think that's as good a description as I can imagine. The Gospels speak of the empty tomb and resurrection appearances, but the key to resurrection is that Jesus who died is both alive and alive in a new way. When the risen Jesus appeared to the disciples, passed through walls, or disappeared suddenly from their sight, it was because he was living in that new heaven and new earth - the kingdom of heaven -- that God is in the process of bringing to life. Jesus is central to that new age and, through him, we can begin to live in it, too.

What does all that mean? To tell you the truth, I'm not exactly sure what that means. It's a mystery. What I do know is that death was not the last word for Jesus. He continued to be with his disciples and, in him, they experienced the presence of God. Those of us who follow Jesus today make that same claim. We experience Jesus alive and, in him, we experience the presence of God. That's what we celebrate at Easter.

Resurrection is the journey of our lives. It is the process of investing more and more of our selves in partnership with God. Jesus is our window to see God. We are shaped by the experiences and relationships we have, by our personalities, and by the community of faith in which we choose to live and grow. We are also shaped by the living and mystical presence of the Spirit especially to the extent we allow ourselves to live in partnership with that Spirit. Resurrection is a faith journey with the goal of changing the world one person, one community, and one church at a time beginning with ourselves.

Resurrection is more than just something that happened to Jesus 2000 years ago. It is God's invitation to wake up and recognize that all of life is lived in God. You and I experience resurrection as we choose to live by the vision of God's new age that Jesus taught. As we learn to love others and ourselves as Jesus loved (and loves), we are living in that new age of God - the new creation. We become aware of the divine presence that permeates all of life. It is a mystery and also an incredibly practical reality. We become mystically connected to God through Christ and, at the same time, we become more and more our true selves! The journey of resurrection is the journey of our lives. It is the process of discovering the wonderful persons God created each of us to be in Jesus' name.

Thanks for blessing me on the journey.

--Jack Price

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