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Eastertide and the Resurrection by Barrie Rose Bliss

April 12, 2024 9:54 AM | Barbara MacDonald (Administrator)

As we immerse ourselves in the season of Eastertide, I find myself compelled to reflect on the profound mystery of resurrection. For over a decade, I've traversed the corridors of academia, delving into countless tomes in pursuit of understanding this divine truth. Yet, amidst the scholarly pursuit, it was in the quiet contemplation of my undergraduate years that I first encountered the enigmatic reality of resurrection encapsulated by N.T. Wright as "Life after life after death" – the awe-inspiring essence of Easter's dawn.

In the hallowed halls of graduate study, I dedicated myself to unraveling the depths of this sacred doctrine, tracing its lineage from Judaic roots to the fertile soil of early Christian communities. Now, amidst the pursuit of my PhD, I ponder anew the transformative impact of resurrection on our perception of the human form – once seen as mere vessels, now sanctified conduits of divine grace, beckoning us towards true liberation.

I share these musings not merely as an academic exercise, but as a testament to the profound resonance this mystery holds within my soul. It is not the historical event of Christ's resurrection alone that captivates me, but rather the boundless implications it unfurls with the dawn of Easter morning.

No matter how many volumes I pursue or how deeply I contemplate, the true essence of resurrection remains ever elusive. It is a mystery that defies tidy explanations; it is a ceaseless fountain of revelation that defies our finite understanding. Like an eternal stream, it flows inexorably, forever evading the grasp of human comprehension.

The resurrection of Jesus inaugurated a cosmic shift, birthing unforeseen possibilities in the womb of human consciousness. It heralded the convergence of matter and divinity, the genesis of a new world amidst the wreckage of human frailty. A promise of redemption, of bodies attuned to the sanctity of the soul, and the eventual dissolution of death's dominion – these are but glimpses of the cosmic symphony set into motion by the risen Christ, fully human and fully divine.

Yet, amidst the theological profundity, it is the promise of redemption that resonates most deeply within my being. The resurrection infuses me with a boundless hope, a conviction that no narrative is beyond redemption, no transgression beyond the reach of divine grace. It is this conviction that sustains me through the darkest of nights, igniting within me the belief in the transformative power of resurrection.

Thus, as we gaze upon the cross, we do not avert our eyes, for we are fortified by the knowledge that even the most harrowing of narratives hold within them the seeds of resurrection. It is this truth, not a distant theological abstraction, but a living, breathing embodiment of hope, that animates my waking hours and infuses each dawn with purpose.

We have been bequeathed with a "new and strange hope," as the early apostles proclaimed on that Easter morning. And now, as inheritors of this sacred legacy, we are called to embody its implications in this season of Eastertide.

May the beauty of resurrection permeate our lives, infusing each moment with the promise of renewal and redemption.


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