He is Risen!

The Easter reflection I wrote for our Lenten Devotion Book, "Hungry?" Easter blessings to you all!

One midnight, several years ago, I stood with a friend and her family and a crowd of others on the lawn outside her Greek Orthodox Church. We could hear the sound of the liturgy inside being piped out to the chilly yard by speakers. I couldn't understand what was being said (it was all Greek to me), but I knew instinctively when the liturgy had reached its peak; then the priest appeared in front of us to proclaim the good news, "Christ is risen!" The elated crowd shouted back, "Christ is risen, indeed!"

By one in the morning we were in the basement of her grandmother's house, seated at a long table laden with food: lamb, potatoes, hard boiled eggs, and sweets upon sweets. The orthodox around the table had been fasting throughout Lent, their fast particularly severe during Holy Week. Grace was said and the feasting began, people savoring foods they had not enjoyed in weeks. There was more food than this crowd could ever eat -- but we gave it a try, feasting until dawn. Every once in a while our joyful feasting would be interrupted by a shout, "Christ is risen!" "He is risen, indeed!" we would all reply.

Today we celebrate the feast of the resurrection, the feast that has no ending. In the resurrection, God set a table before us laden with good things, among them God's presence, God's forgiveness, God's justice, the gift of community, and abundant and eternal life. With the good news of Christ's resurrection, our fast from these good things is over; our hunger is satisfied. And so now we sit ourselves at this table of goodness, feasting on these abundant gifts, shouting out the good news to one another that Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen!