A Call to Action

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

— 1 Peter 1:3 (NRSVUE)

As we take time during this season to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I am reminded of God’s enduring love for humanity — despite our failings. In raising Jesus from the dead, God showed that death cannot defeat the love that is rooted in God’s unchanging character. This love is not fickle or capricious; it is a steady and consistent force for positive transformation in the cosmos. 

Through the Resurrection, God offers us the hope of new life, even in the face of war, the specter of failing health, and the divisions that fear and hatred cause between people. Jesus’ victory over death points to the new heaven and new earth mentioned in 2 Peter 3:13 and Revelation 21:1. 

The love of God as revealed in the Resurrection is also a call to action. It is a reminder that we are called to lay down our entitlements and fears in order to love others as God has loved us and to work toward the reconciliation of all things. The Resurrection is a call to live in the power of the Holy Spirit and to be agents of God’s love and grace in the world. 

God’s love is steadfast, consistent, and powerful enough to overcome even the greatest of obstacles. As we celebrate Jesus’ victory over the grave, may we be inspired to live out this love in our own lives and to share it with everyone around us.