Second Chances

Second Chances

Written by: Pam Wood

When asked to share what resurrection means to me, I of course, thought Easter Sunday. Obvious.  For a long time, Easter Sunday meant baskets of candy, egg hunts, chicks and bunnies, dressing up and going to church.

I guess I was about twelve when the importance of the day was about resurrection.  Yes, I learned the meaning of Easter before that in Sunday School, but for me, as a child, it did not really register.  Growing up in church, the concept just settled in, without truly understanding the depth.

Musically, it was especially glorious and uplifting.  It was like suddenly exhaling after holding my breath through the solemnity of Holy Week.

The definition of resurrection is the act of something dead coming back to life.  It is not limited to people.  Cities like New Orleans, Galveston, and Phuket, devastated by natural disasters have been resurrected.  It has taken time and effort, but they have been restored, improved and still recognizable as they once were.

And that brings me to the Resurrection.  Years ago, I read Marcus Borg’s book, The Last Week.  He wrote that the crucifixion demonstrated the political power of government, whereas the resurrection demonstrated the power of God at work.  That struck me so deeply that I had to write it down.  An insurrection brought resurrection.  Without the cross, there is no resurrection.  The power of God!

God’s plan to have Jesus come at a time when people were beaten down and hopeless had to lead somewhere.  His life could not just end.  After the effect he had on all who knew or had even heard of him, that would have only deepened the desperation, futility and hopelessness.

And we know how Jesus wrestled with the agony of being crucified.  Who wouldn’t?  What would I do if I knew I was going to die in some horrific way?  I would beg for it to happen in an easy, less painful way.  Just as Jesus did. Probably the most human emotion he expressed.  But by accepting the will of God, we all received an incredible gift of love, coming out of painful suffering.  His resurrection was a transformation and unlike those he had brought back to life, he was unrecognized by those who loved him and had known him.  His resurrection manifested the future, the culmination of what he had been preaching and teaching, the pronouncement of the Kingdom of God and they still didn’t get it.

So now I put all those thoughts into what resurrection means to me.  First, it is a promise of hope and joy now, AND a promise of life after death.  Nothing to fear. Once when visiting Cairo, I noticed everyone we passed walked with downcast eyes.  No one smiled.  It was as if they had no joy.  When I asked the guide why everyone seemed so sad, so solemn, she said their present lives hold no promise.  The afterlife as represented by the pyramids was what they were waiting for. So depressing.   We have the promise of God with us, which takes me to my second point.

The resurrection means comfort to me.  Jesus is always with me, even when I forget to acknowledge his presence.  He never leaves me, His assurance as Constant Friend is proof again of God’s love for us.  Jesus did not die and just leave us with memories.  He is present.

And lastly, the resurrection symbolizes second chances to me.  His friends and followers had a second chance to be with him and hear again what they had not truly heard before.  A second chance to understand.  That second chance gave them the opportunity to tell the “rest of the story”.

Jesus’ life on earth was perfect and amazing.  It is no wonder that people tried to get close to feel his presence, to touch his clothes.  They wanted that chance to know him, a chance that would change their lives.  His resurrection gives me that same chance to get close to him.  

So many times, I have messed up, fallen short, letting those I love down in so many ways.  But I know I have been forgiven and given a second chance.  I will continue to need second chances and the resurrection, through the promise of hope and the comfort of my Friend, gives me those second chances because of the overwhelming love of God.

Hallelujah—Christ is Risen!

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