A Bright & Gloomy Easter
Last Easter, I never would have imagined that my first Easter as pastor would be preaching to an audience of one. I never would have imagined all the empty chairs. Easter is one of the biggest days of the year and the building is usually packed, not empty. But not this year. This year we spent resurrection Sunday, like most churches, doing church online. While our people met out in the parking lot in their cars (six feet apart of course) watching “together” on their phones, it was just me and the sound guy in an empty building, which brought a mixture of emotions. For Christians, Easter is a joyous occasion as we celebrate Christ’s victory over sin and death, and praise Him for the same victory He offers all those who trust in Him. And while this Easter still brought that same joy, it also brought a painful reminder that even though Christ sealed death’s fate on the cross, its execution hasn’t been carried out yet. Our inability to hug and shake each other’s hands was a powerful object lesson that I never could have made from the pulpit. This year’s Easter reminded us that even though the shadow of death’s axe lay before our Easter celebration, the bright and shining sun of resurrection lies waiting behind it.
