Risen

30"H x 48"W

She was shaking from the inside out. Silent tears turned into loud sobs when the truth came out. Through tears, she kept saying she didn’t have a choice. How she didn’t have any money or support or hope for her future. About how she was all alone. She’d talked herself into doing what was “right”, not knowing it could ever feel this wrong. 

And now she can’t sleep at night. She can’t eat during the day. She’s numb on the outside, yet ravaged with pain on the inside. She says nothing is normal anymore. “This one thing has changed everything” and now she’ll never be the same.

I reach out for folded hands and asked to pray. But she says not to waste good prayers on bad people like her. I squeeze those hands tighter and step in closer as she continues to tell me that her sin is too great and unforgivable. 

Sometimes the greatest lies ever told are the ones we tell ourselves.

It’s Easter weekend and it’s whole meaning is sitting right in front of me in human form. Skin and bones and bleeding on her own cross.

We trick ourselves into believing that the resurrection story has something to do with Easter bunnies and painted eggs. Too often, we skip over the suffering part. The pain part. The sin part of a fallen world. We are quick to jump past the cross and into an empty grave to celebrate the resurrected king, who defeated death and rose again.

Good Friday was not good. And Sunday has not come. We are sitting between death on the cross and heaven in holy human form returning.  We are waiting. Wondering. Questioning. Doubting. Because we still don’t really know if what He said was true. If His promises were real. If His hope would really hold.

Her eyes were closed and her head was bowed. And with no prompting she cried out quietly, “Jesus, please forgive me.”

And He did. Just like the thief next to Him on the tree. Just as he forgives you and me.

No matter who you are or what you’ve done, there is One who makes all things new.  

The resurrection story then is every bit the resurrection story now. While the future is still unclear and the pain is still present, take heart, my friends. 

Sunday is coming. 

This one thing has changed everything and now we will never be the same.