Easter Blessings

The church courtyard is full of children, laughing, running, looking for the Easter eggs which have been "hidden" along ledges and under bushes. The sun is warm. A cross of calla lilies has been erected.

Folks of all ages are eating breakfast - long time members, brand new visitors, homeless folks who've wandered in from the park down the street. Eggs, scones, cereal, juice and coffee. There is food enough. There is welcome. There are smiles for everyone.

It's easy to be happy on a bright spring morning with perfect weather and good friends around. And if that's all there were too it, we'd all be happy all of the time. But we're brand new on this side of Holy Week. We worked hard to get here.

But this is the Easter promise. That our deepest fears, our empty hours and our flowing tears do not defeat the promise of life. Life is full of grace and miracles, just like this sunny-drenched morning.

Will there be troubling times ahead. Yes, of course there will be. But we know that morning will come, and hope will come, and grace will come. No matter what.

Happy Easter.