Easter Meditation
New Heaven and New Earth: Revelation 21:1-7 and 22:1-5
Imagine no pain, mourning, or death. It ain’t easy; I’ve tried.
Imagine no chaos, brokenness, or struggle. Yeah, it ain’t easy; it sounds like fantasy.
Sometimes the floods, both metaphorical and real, overwhelm us. Tornadoes, heavy rain, and lightning threaten us, and sometimes they destroy us. This chaos, both natural and personal, distracts us and, at times, wrecks us.
The world is filled with violence. It grieves us and angers us
Yet, the story of God’s work climaxes in a world where there is no more chaos, no more death, and no more crying. A time when there are no more tears.
The promise can seem like a pipedream, but we faithfully and continually confess it. It is our Easter confession. This hope is grounded in the maker of heaven and earth, the architect of Easter, and the author of the restoration of all things.
We are co-heirs with the resurrected Messiah. What belongs to him, he will share with us. His resurrection creates a new world; it initiates a new creation. It is the beginning of a new heaven and new earth. This is the meaning of Easter.
The voice of the one who is seated on the throne says, “Those who overcome these things”—all the chaos, violence, evil, and brokenness in the world—“will inherit all these things,” that is, the new heaven and new earth. There, in a renewed and glorious Garden of Eden, we will see the face of God, and there will be no more curse. The whole creation is blessed because now the dwelling of God is with humanity, and, God promises, “I will be their God and they will be my children.”
At the same time, that expectant hope—as glorious and certain as it is—seems so distant. “Real life” intrudes on this hope and depresses it.
Nevertheless, Easter shows up not only once a year but in our daily experiences. We see moments when God wins daily. There we are not only reminded of an Easter past, but a coming Cosmic Easter.
Easter shows up in the daily experiences of kindness, gratitude, mercy, and compassion.
Easter interrupts the chaos when people rally to support the grieving, the oppressed, and the hungry.
Easter breaks through when light shines into darkness, when forgiveness trumps vengeance, and when generosity shares resources.
On Easter Sunday, we are reminded that death will not win. We carry this confession in our hearts even when darkness covers us. Yet, we are hopeful because we not only know there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but we also notice that light when it breaks into our lives every day.
The light is always shining. Easter is always true. And death will not win.