Every week leading up to Easter I re-read this 2017 obituary of the children’s author and filmmaker Amy Krouse Rosenthal who died tragically of cancer at the age of 51. Of course there is nothing unique about death, as one group estimates across the globe over 330,000 people die every day, or approximately 230 every minute. Yet we always treat death as a tragedy to be mourned as opposed to a statistic to be counted. Why bring this up on Easter Monday? Because Ms. Rosenthal’s reflection on life even before she was diagnosed with cancer speaks to the universal longings in Good Friday and Easter Sunday. For example, when she reached 40, Ms. Rosenthal began calculating how many days she had left until she turned 80. She wrote:
“How many more times, then, do I get to look at a tree?” she asked. “Let’s just say it’s 12,395. Absolutely, that’s a lot, but it’s not infinite, and I’m thinking anything less than infinite is too small a number and not satisfactory. At the very least, I want to look at trees a million more times. Is that too much to ask?”
The answer to her question discovered at the foot of the cross this past Friday and the empty tomb yesterday is, “No, it is not too much to ask!.” And as we reflected upon yesterday Jesus had to be delivered over to the hands of sinners, had to be crucified so that on the third day he would be raised again. (Luke 24). The love that motivated Jesus’ death and resurrection was in part so that we can know that anything less than infinite is unsatisfactory, and that the trees we will be looking at one day will dance and clap along with us for infinity and beyond.
For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. – Isaiah 55:12
Christianity and Progressive Social Justice
Justice. Equality. Diversity. Compassion. What does the Bible have to say about all these things?
From a historical perspective, the Christian faith is the origin and source of so many progressive values today. This is not because Jesus wants to keep us from true fulfillment; rather, it’s because Jesus is calling us to something deeper and far better.
Upcoming Events
- Apr 23 | New at RWS
- Apr 23 | Volunteer Choir Info Session
- Apr 23 | Mercy & Justice Highlight: Young Life Info Session
- Apr 28 | Live at W83 featuring Carmen Cancél, Sofrito & the Blues
- Apr 30 | Gotham Application Deadline
