Be Made New

How shall we celebrate spring, Easter, and our theme “Be Made New” in the midst of a pandemic with both social distancing and shelter-in-place mandates?

All the chicks and bunnies that abound in the decorations this time of year come from the ancient earth and fertility goddess traditions celebrating the rebirth that comes with spring. After the abundant harvest and the cold, dead winter, the new growth reminds us that life is an eternal cycle. This deep ancient wisdom has lived in our bones since the beginning of time yet in our modern world, so distanced from our Mother Earth, we have become comfortable with and actually assume that everything will always stay the same. Yet in this time of powerful disruption, we are once again engaged with life in its most basic terms. And we confronted with the question “How will we take it up?” 

We are Made New when we take up this season with faith, not with fear; with responsibility without blame, and with conviction rather than despair. Be Made New by the promise that the cycle will end, the dead of winter will pass, and new life will emerge. We have had an abundant harvest and with the ending of the cycle we have the opportunity to be birthed a new way of being – together, with others, and on our planet. Let a new spring emerge from this winter that is truly designed to grow a world that works, individually, for all of us, and for our planet.

The Story of the Resurrection from our Christian roots celebrates the eternality of Life, not the human physical life, but the Spiritual Life that is our essence. It is after the agony of crucifixion and the darkness of the tomb that the eternality of Life is made evident. The Resurrection reveals that while the body dies the spirit within each one of us is eternal, immortal, deathless and changeless.

We are Made New as we embrace our immortality, right here and now. We are reborn into the spiritual reality of the wholeness and perfection of every life, that no life can truly be lost, and that each spirit continues on in the dance toward full awakening. Be Made New by the promise that life goes on. Yes, we truly grieve the loved ones and all the lives lost. But our grief does not need to fall into despair because we know that each one is part of the Whole. Nor do we need to fear for our own lives. We have the opportunity to meet life with such deep faith and conviction that we can work together for a beautiful experience of Life here on earth which ruly reflects the spiritual nature of all life.

So we continue to find ways to celebrate in the midst of chaos and disruption, to stand firm in our faith, in the midst of sickness and death.  And we remember that we are all in this together, holding hands and walking each other home.

We are reading The Philosophy of Jesus, updated and gender neutral by Dr Ernest Holmes, to help us navigate our path together. May you Be Made New as we love each other in community and draw ever closer and deeper to the spiritual truth and presence of the One.