What now?

It seems that Spring is springing.

The days are getting longer and the temperatures are getting warmer. One can see signs of Spring everywhere one goes. The birds are back after a long winter's absence. The flowers are starting to come out and the trees are starting to get their leaves. We are also getting those April showers, which as the saying goes, will bring May flowers.

Spring is also the time of Easter. Lent season is now behind us. The difficult days of Holy week are behind us and Easter was celebrated this past Sunday. So what now?

Easter has become as commercialized as Christmas. Easter has become associated with the Easter Bunny, eggs, candy, new clothes and dinners. There is more to it however. Holy week began with the Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem or what we celebrate as Palm Sunday. Then there is Maundy Thursday which was the last meal Jesus would share with his disciples. From that night, we get communion and concept of foot washing. Then there is Good Friday when we remember the day Jesus was nailed to the cross. He was crucified on that day just before the Sabbath began. After all this came the day when the tomb was found empty because Jesus was resurrected from the dead.

Now we are past Easter. What do we do now?

We could put it all behind us and go on with our lives as if nothing happened, but something did happen. What happened was something wonderful. After the crucifixion the disciples where living in fear and sorrow. All hope was gone. After the resurrection, they had hope. They found courage and their sorrow was gone. Now we should live as people with a risen savior, people with hope and courage.

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Editor's note: Brian Timmons is the pastor of Pea Ridge and Brightwater Methodist Churches. He can be contacted at 925-0167 or by e-mail at [email protected].