Practice Resurrection... Those are the concluding words to one of Wendell Berry’s poems. The poem is not truly about church or theology. Not in the traditional sense. It’s about creation, agriculture, the cycles of rain and drought. But Berry identifies these elements in God’s good creation, and he sees them as signs of what God is doing in the world. He sees them as emblems of hope, as an extension of God’s mighty works.
That line always resonates with me this time of year. Practice resurrection. Because once we get past the great big joy of Easter Sunday, I’m often left wondering “what now?” And according to scripture, the “what now” is precisely what Berry instructs. We are to practice resurrection.
Where are the places in this world that need new life? Where are the places within our own hearts that need the embers of hope stoked into flame? Who are the people around us that need to be blessed, encouraged, equipped and abled to offer good in this world?
We’re not the kind of people who show up on Easter Sunday with bright new clothes and then slip into lives unchanged by this unprecedented miracle. Not us. We intend to be those who speak in a particular way. And love in a specific way. And give in this tangible kind of way so that our community is graciously aware that new and everlasting life is the rule for the day. We practice resurrection.