Dear friend in Christ,

"He is not here; he has risen!" Luke 24:6–7

It's the Eastertide season, which should be a time of joy but, if you're anything like me, the first part of the quote from Luke ("He is is not here") seems to resonate with how I feel much more convincingly than the triumphant message "He has risen!"

As I reflect on why I feel like this, I realize that my current circumstances, which are certainly not the horrors many people experience, are leading me into that rather dull, dissatisfied view of life. Our sisters have all been vaccinated, yet life isn't swiftly returning to normal and, across the world, in countries from India to Brazil, things are getting worse for many people. We are daily confronted by injustice, evidence of racism, and social injustice and, at times, it can all seem too much.

I'm struggling to convince myself that it's right now, in these circumstances, when it's especially important to hold fast to the hope that Christ's Resurrection brings. Jesus is alive! Allowing that mystery to seep deep into my soul is what I need to turn my perspective around. If Jesus has suffered and literally risen from the dead, this is the promise that we, too, can come through this time of testing and together build a better world.

In faith and hope,