Easter Sunday

Lent 2021Personal & Longform

Apr 4

April 4, 2021 | By Serena Puang DC ‘22 + 1

Happy Easter! He is Risen! It has been our honor to journey with you through Lent for the past seven weeks. I hope that wherever you are: whether at home or miles away, whether on fire for God or burnt out, you can take some time today to reflect on the miracle of the resurrection and its implications.

This morning at church, I was struck by the hymn “Because He Lives.” I’m currently attending Chinese language services, and something about singing in Mandarin made me pause and think more deeply about what I was saying: that the truth of the resurrection gives me assurance to keep walking forward in life despite what might be in the past and the confidence to face the future despite not knowing what that might hold.

Especially in the last few weeks, there is so much creating uncertainty, confusion, and despair. This isn’t new. Last year’s Lent series focused primarily on all the changes occurring due to Covid-19, and much of what made 2020 a difficult year is still true now. But as writers for Lent 2021 have pointed out, there are also truths that transcend our circumstances which give us hope for the future. There is time and space to mourn, but because He lives, our sorrow is being turned to joy.

It doesn’t always feel that simple. Sometimes, walking with God is confusing, and the “good news” doesn’t feel so good. We wrestle with hard things, and sometimes, we fail. But praise God that He chooses “the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast in His presence.” (1 Corinthians 1:27-28).