early one morning
Life surprised us, as promised;
a second first day.
The occurrence of the Resurrection ‘on the first day of the week’ (see, e.g., Matthew 28) suggests a parallel with the Genesis 1 creation account. Many Christians understand it as the beginning of New Creation, the ‘now and not yet’ fulfilment of God’s promise to deliver Israel and, ultimately, humankind. But although the promise can be traced throughout the Hebrew scriptures (which have been retrospectively interpreted with Jesus’ life and death and life in mind), that first Easter morning was not necessarily what those hoping and waiting had thought they were hoping and waiting for. Even Jesus’ disciples — whom he had explicitly prepared for the event (see, e.g., Mark 8:31) – were taken by surprise. As for me … Lent is never long enough, or I am never quite intentional enough in observing it, so that Easter always seems to come ‘too early’. Then again, I’m not sure that I ever could (or am supposed to) be entirely ‘prepared’ for such an actuality.
(Part 3 of a trio for Easter weekend. Friday's is here, and Saturday's, here).
[Thumbnail image cc from Sean MacEntee on Flickr].
Comments
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Haiku at Easter
Whatever next I wonder
Monday morning norm
and to a pregnant inbox:
life obscuring Life.
Perhaps facebook or twitter?
Look in John 10:10!