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A New Thought for Easter April 12, 2009
Rev. David Alexander
We are at the peak of the unfolding story of Jesus’ experience on earth—the Easter experience. Clearly, something happened in the life of Jesus and it is not an accident that the church placed this event during spring, when rebirth and resurrection is apparent in nature. There is an ancient energy of new life in all creation.
The interesting thing about Jesus’ death is that none of the Gospels agree on where or when or who was there. Even more importantly, Paul’s writing, which were written long before any of the Gospels were written, only said that Jesus died—no other details. What we are left with is the understanding that the writers of the New Testament were trying to get a point across about the profound, out-of-this world experience that they had around Jesus and his message. There was an awakening that happened and it didn’t happen in Jerusalem in three days. To make Easter real, it must be liberated from the liturgy, from the encasement of the scripture stories that we have all been told about Easter.
After Jesus’ death, there was an awakening that happened for the disciples. So, in their stories, which were later written down (perhaps between 60-90 years after Jesus’ actual death), they all reflected back on the ancient Hebrew Scriptures. Ultimately, the message is the ever-present overcoming power of God. And it was a Galilean experience—because that is where the disciples lived and they would have had to return there after the death of Jesus. Their discovery that the essence of Jesus still lived would have been a profound revelation—they saw that death could not contain the Infinite. It was at that point that the power of Easter exploded into human consciousness.
The experience of Easter gives us a template for our own awakening.
1. An internal conviction—the reality of the invisible coming in to manifestation
2. Then a march into the city (the dwelling place of peace) and announcing that the invisible is more real than the seen.
3. Being on trial for your convictions (would there be enough evidence to convict you?)
4. Friends and family desert you, abandon you
5. There is a death to the old—lack and limitation and a resurrection of the new—wholeness, love and balance
What is interesting is that the old way of looking at the Easter story must go through the template as well so that the Easter experience can be an active walk, a walk of remembering that the power of the presence of God overcomes all problems.
What lives in us is everlasting and, therefore, others may be transformed by it and move into the energy of a world that works for all. The truth that Easter points to is that love triumphs over hatred. The truth emerges and the story of the resurrection is an opportunity to have a new thought!
Questions to ponder:
1. What in your life needs to die so that unconditional love can emerge?
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