The True Easter
Malcolm Guite, in his book of poems for Lent and Easter, says of the season: “There is only ever one day, the true Easter.”1 Referencing a poem by George Herbert, Guite explains to us that the resurrection of Jesus is our resurrection — the promise of an eternal day where we will be united with him and all the saints.
For some of us, the days leading up to Easter are filled with anticipation. We contemplate the sobering reminders of what the resurrection cost, while also sensing the relief and joy of what it represents. But once the shared meals, special church services, and egg hunts have passed, we probably find ourselves quickly shifting back to normal routines.
How might we hang onto the hope of Easter as we go back to the office or turn into the pick up line at our child’s school? The church calendar offers us space for meaningful reflection. While Lent (the forty days leading up to Easter Sunday) is typically associated with a period of fasting, Eastertide gives us the opportunity for feasting. We sit in quiet reflection from the darkness of Good Friday and move with hopeful eagerness toward Holy Sunday. In the days following, we can carry on the celebration by meditating on our new life in Christ. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, we not only have access to the eternal day, we can also experience the enjoyment of it even in the midst of the challenges and inconsistencies of our earthly lives.
In his commentary of Herbert’s poem, Guite offers further reflection: “From now on there is just the single, eternal day of resurrection, and by its light we can look back over our long pilgrimage and see the glory of this day, hidden once but shining now, in all we have been through.”2 Friends, resist the urge to move on quickly from this season. Push back against the demands to frantically regroup for end-of-year school activities and summer vacation planning. Instead, commit to the ongoing goodness of remembering the Resurrection, and feast on all that it represents for you in Christ Jesus.
Malcolm Guite, The Word in the Wilderness: A Poem a Day for Lent and Easter, p. 174.
Ibid.