Today the most significant date on the Christian calendar, Easter/Resurrection Sunday, is being celebrated in a very different form or fashion than most are accustomed. There no crowded sanctuaries, no Easter Sunday Cantatas, no Easter plays or dramatizations, most families will not have big Easter dinners or go out to brunches. All of which we were accustomed to has been interrupted by this Coronavirus ordeal. Today, in the midst of what is generally a celebratory season, some families awaken with the struggle of celebrating and grieving because they've lost a loved one or multiple loved ones because of this ordeal we find ourselves in all over the world, COVID-19 pandemic. What an ordeal we are living in right now.
This isn't an ideal situation we find ourselves in. What an ordeal! Families losing loved ones to this deadly virus-what an ordeal. Student's school year interrupted-- forced to online/distance learning, cancellations of proms, graduations, and senior trips. What an ordeal! People losing their jobs, businesses that have been built with blood, sweat, and tears. What an ordeal! Healthcare professionals, public safety professionals, grocery store clerks, and so many others ALL PUTTING THEIR LIVES IN DANGER DAILY!! What an ordeal!
However, Resurrection Sunday is an example of how to move from an ordeal to the ideal! The Easter story, at it's core, helps us see as humans how God helps us get through an ordeal and move toward the ideal. Because quite frankly the crucifixion of Christ wasn't ideal! It was definitely an ordeal in the lives of those who experienced it first hand. And as we consider Mark's account of all that took place that monumental morning we find some principles to help us move from the ordeals we encounter in our own lives to the ideal that God has for us. When we remember to elevate our thinking, maintain an eagerness to follow God, and embrace an evangelistic lifestyle then God can move us through our personal ordeals and into the ideal for our lives.
Rev. Squire J. Newsome III
