I like to think about resurrection as a waking up to God. Resurrection is a message of reassurance and hope that each one of us is a beloved child of God. It’s a message to the victims of bullying, to people stigmatized because of sexuality, to those on the edges of society who may feel marginalized and dismissed. It is the unutterable love of God and God’s unconditional, sustaining mercy that embraces all.
Resurrection is noticing God in the endless unfolding of creation. I see resurrection in the new life of spring, in the countless ways people care for one another, and in those who are committed to making the world a better place. We are made in God’s image. God lives in us. We are loved beyond our furthest imaginings. We bear God’s love and mercy, yes, even God’s resurrecting power to the world and to all we meet.
O God, help us wake up to you!
Today is the fourth Sunday of Easter. The readings for today are Acts 4:5-12; Psalm 23; 1 John 3:16-24; John 10:11-18. This message was adapted from “Waking Up to God” by Julie K. Aageson that first appeared in the April 2011 issue of Lutheran Woman Today (now Gather) magazine.