Whatever else the first Easter was, it was unexpected. Death became life. Darkness became light. Failure became success. Sorrow became joy, and despair, hope.

Easter is a time of hope and transformation, a time when life goes on yet nothing is the same again. Even those who first experienced Easter weren’t sure of all the details, and often struggled to put words with what they had experienced, but they knew that something unimaginable had occurred. Jesus was dead, yet now he lives.

Easter changed them. But it wasn’t magic. It came through the power and grace of the God who created heaven and earth, and made the dawn to follow the night. But often today as then, God’s hope is borne by human hands.

The joy of Easter was discovered and shared through the incredible hope and courage of some women. And through disciples who were filled with “fear and joy.” And it has continued ever since, through men and women who were willing to move through the dark times of life, taking one step at a time toward a brand new life. And it continues through men and women willing to help each other on the way. Such people come in all sizes and shapes, and often in unexpected ways, sometimes so grace filled they have been likened to angels.

Such is the challenge and the hope of Easter. The message is familiar, even if some of it may be hard to understand. But the challenge isn’t hearing the message, it’s living it. And doing that takes help, especially when we’re in the dark and our lives are bruised and broken. As the young man said, “What you see isn’t all you get,” no matter what it is. New life comes in the morning, in fact each morning, if we are looking for it.

~ Dent Davis, Pastor Tryon Presbyterian Church