Easter People are Happy People

I’ve spent quite a bit of the past year thinking about death. I know, that’s terribly depressing, isn’t it? My Dad died last year, during Lent, actually, Maundy Thursday, to be exact. He suffered for a relatively brief period of time from an extraordinarily rare form of brain cancer that wasn’t even diagnosed properly until about two weeks prior to his death. His first symptoms appeared on Thanksgiving of 2013 and he died on April 17, 2014.

There’s something about losing your Dad that brings home the reality of your own mortality. I’ve lost all my grandparents, an uncle, and a cousin. Roz and I lost our second child to a rare chromosomal disorder. As a pastor for over twenty years I’ve walked with many people through the end of their lives. I’ve seen a lot of death. There’s something that affects you at a fundamental level, though, when your father dies. This experience has brought home my own mortality. Life is limited.

My Dad was a great man. He was great on a lot of levels. He was a great athlete, a great leader, a great discipler, a great friend, a great husband, a great father, and a great grandfather. He was exceptional. He wasn’t perfect. But he was great. I miss him.

I’m not big on euphemisms for death. Those who serve with me and who attend the churches I serve and have served can probably attest to this. I don’t use “he passed away” or “she passed.” I think euphemisms are an unhealthy way of attempting to insulate ourselves from the cold, hard reality that no one is making it out of this deal alive. Since the introduction of death into the world after the Fall, death is a part of life. I don’t say it’s a “natural” part of life, because this is not how nature was intended by the Creator. It is an intrusion on his good plan, not a natural consequence of his design. Death is the enemy, and thus it ought to be squarely faced, especially, because it has been defeated.

And, this is what I started out wanting to write about. Easter people are happy people. I’m not sure who coined the phrase “Easter People.” It’s a little corny, but I like it because I use it to describe people who have put their faith in the One who has risen from the dead, thus inaugurating God’s coming age in which there will be no more dying, or suffering, or pain. Jesus the Messiah was crucified on Friday, but on Sunday he got up. Because God breathed life back into that dead body, there is hope for everyone who trusts in him.

This is why Easter People, people who are actively trusting the Risen Jesus, are happy people. Years ago in some class or seminar or something, the leader was talking about dealing with anxiety and worry. He taught that one way to deal with it is to imagine the worst-case scenario. For instance, the nightmare comes true, you show up for class and you totally forgot about a test you have that day (this actually happened to me, once). Anyway, instead of flying off the handle in a full-fledged panic attack, consider the worst-case scenario. You flunk the test and end up making a bad grade. Okay, that’s not ideal but I think I can live with it. Generally (not always), the worst-case scenario isn’t so horrible after all and the worry is wasted. Most of the time the worst-case scenario doesn’t even come true, anyway. This is a nice strategy to deal with anxiety.

The ultimate worst-case scenario is death. Jesus defeated death. He pulled a quick one over on the enemy. Satan thought he’d won, but in reality his defeat was assured. The person who puts his trust in Jesus, the Risen Lord, knows that Jesus has defeated death. So, it’s a foregone conclusion. You can’t defeat a Jesus-follower. If I’m on the winning team, guaranteed, then I’m happy. My worst-case scenario has been transformed into the ultimate victory!! There’s hope of a new world, a renewed heaven and earth, an age of healing and wholeness. The really cool thing is that my life can make an eternal impact when I join Jesus in his mission, now!

My Dad spent his life, from his 21^st year until his last, serving God’s Kingdom purposes, living as an Easter Person. I think of him often. My thoughts, lately, have turned away from his final illness and death, and toward those positive memories and life lessons he taught me. The most important lesson: Jesus is Alive, and because Jesus is alive there’s hope for all of us. God is doing something new and we get to be a part of it. Life matters. Death isn’t the final word. What we do here, right now, makes a difference.

Easter people look around at all the suffering and pain and misery in the world, not with an escapist defeatism, but engaged in a hope-filled battle for good and wholeness and happiness, remembering the words of the Apostle Paul: “‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). 

What greater happiness can there be? I am participating in something that is going to be here forever. The renewal of the cosmos is happening right now. Nothing can overcome what God is doing and I get to be a part of it. My life, my choices, my actions are leaving an indelible imprint that will help others see the goodness of God and embrace the gift of life, today, tomorrow, and for eternity. It really doesn’t get any better than that and even death can’t change it. Easter people are happy people.

Comments

[Rose Ann Clark]

Like your writing on Easter people are happy people.