Submitted by Pastor Donna Clark Fuller,

Rock Port and Watson United Methodist Churches

“In him was life, and the life was the light of all people.” John 1:4

We have just celebrated Easter, the day Christians remember the great miracle of our faith, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. But Easter is not just a day. We call the time from Easter to Pentecost the season of Easter. But I would say that it is not just a season either, but a way of life. We should see ourselves as people of Easter every day of our lives.

If we believe in this miracle of life from death, we have to know that God is not a destructive, vengeful God, but rather a God who brings life. Some people view God as a source of fear, as one more powerful than us whom we must obey and take care not to cross, or there will be painful consequences waiting for us in hell. But if we see God’s very nature as love, we must see God’s acts of coming to earth, suffering crucifixion and yet overcoming all the pain and death that earth and humans have to offer to rise from the dead as the greatest sign of God’s love for us.

So what does it mean to live every day in the knowledge of that love and in the gift of life that comes from that love? It means living free from fear, standing in the light rather than the darkness, and knowing what is possible for us to accomplish in our lives when we know that God wants our lives to be full and positive, and does not want us to live as people beaten down. It means that we can participate in the power of God, a power used for good and not just for intimidation.

What does it mean to know that this gift was for all people? It means seeing each other as worthy of God’s love and the life God offers. It means knowing that we don’t raise ourselves when we try to see others as lower than us. It means seeing all of us as part of a creation meant to be full of life and not destruction.

These are just a few of my thoughts on what it can mean to live each day as people of Easter. What does it mean to you?