An Easter Message from the Dean
Photo Credit: Kay Friday
In the musical "Man of la Mancha," based on Cervantes' novel "Don Quixote de la Mancha," Don Quixote sings "To dream the impossible dream..." The Quixotic hero's varied adventures were in search of love, justice and mercy. Sometimes these far-off goals seem like remote ideals, unattainable goals or simply frustrated and unfulfillable hopes. Perhaps the title of the song might be better changed "To live the impossible life..."
How much time, energy and money is spent on our illusion and fantasy to live the impossible life - the perfect life without worries, care-free, pain-free, illness and disease vanquished, conflict banished, hatred abandoned, all hope and no despair, plentiful food for everyone and justice for all.
This world does not exist...yet. Jesus' resurrection translates the impossible dream into the possible dream anchored by the promise that when death and hatred have done their worst, the supreme foundation of the universe is hope and justice anchored in God's love and abundance. And eternal life for all.
This world exists in its fullness in God's good time and meanwhile it exists in the lives and actions of those who follow in Jesus' footsteps of self-giving love, forgiveness and mercy. These are a power for living that cannot be diminished and that well up into joy and eternal life.
Jesus' resurrection changes the "impossible life" into the "possible life" through your witness of service and faith in the presence of the living Lord. That is the gift and the promise of Easter Day...and every day lived in the presence of the risen Christ.
Alleluia! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!