A Resurrection of Life
The past 365-plus days have tested people all over the globe like never before thanks to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent quarantines.
But what I saw during the pandemic was a world that could deal with anything from loss of jobs to loss of life to loss of freedoms and still persevere.
So as Christians across the globe gather to celebrate Resurrection Sunday in a couple of days, it is important for us to remember that resurrection not only represents the saving of our souls from sin, but the ability to succeed when everything looks bleak and our enemies have counted us out.
The year 2020 became a microcosm for life, for better or worse.
I can remember, like many people, claiming that 2020 would be my year of breakthrough and triumph.
Little did anyone know that the coronavirus pandemic would put many plans and dreams on hold.
People across the country struggled to pay their bills because companies went out of business as a result of shutdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
People saw loved-ones pass away at record rates.
To make matters worse, loved-ones got buried without relatives and friends being able to give them a proper home going service because of social distancing rules.
College athletes who had trained their entire lives for a chance to perform on championship stages, saw their lifelong dreams dashed because of a deadly virus.
Business owners who depended on local fairs and livestock shows to fund their companies for the entire year, saw most of their income disappear after those shows got canceled because of the pandemic.
And people lost the ability to just enjoy life outside of their household out of fear of catching a deadly virus.
Unfortunately, Americans began to see our democracy tested after rioters stormed the United States Capitol in an effort to steal an election away from President Joe Biden.
It got so bad that national guardsmen had to come to Washington, D.C. to secure the inauguration of the 46th President of the United States.
But as bad as things got, people of faith knew that things would get better if we just held on to our faith just a little bit longer.
As Psalm 30:5 reads, “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.”
While that verse does not mean that after a night of crying, we will experience joy the next day, it does mean that the sorrows of life do not last forever.
Therefore, once we have endured the trials and tribulations of life, we will be rewarded with triumphant victory if we keep the faith.
In other words, even though our adversaries might have knocked us down yesterday, we can still get up tomorrow and keep pressing towards success.
Jesus Christ’s ministry only lasted for three years before his crucifixion.
Throughout those three years, Christ became a threat to the status quo of government.
His power healed the sick but it also threatened the powers that be.
Therefore, He had to go in order for the old order to get restored.
On Good Friday, Christ took his last breath as He died a painful death on the cross.
His family borrowed a tomb so that they could lay Him to rest.
And that is how His enemies wanted the story to end.
But as the gospel hymn “No Greater Love” explains, that is not how the story ended.
The lyrics of “No Greater Love” read, “Jesus went to Calvary, to save a wretch like you and me, that’s love, that’s love. They hung Him high, They stretched Him wide, He hung His head, and then He died, that’s love, that’s love. That’s not how the story ends, three days later He rose again, that’s love, that’s love.”
Therefore, people of all belief systems have to realize that although people might have counted you out, and life might have dealt you some bad blows, the story does not have to end that way.
Your career might seem at a dead end.
Your relationship might seem to be at a dead end.
Your relationship with friends might have even hit a dead end.
But that does not mean that you have to give up or give in, and accept that you career, marriage or friendships are dead.
People have to have enough faith to never accept defeat.
Instead, people have to learn to push through the difficulties in life that all people endure, whether it is health problems, loss of jobs or the death of a loved one.
On the song “Dear Mama,” rapper Tupac Shakur said, “I wish I could take the pain away, if you can make it through the night, there’s a brighter day. Everything will be alright if you hold on, It’s a struggle everyday, gotta roll on.”
And things have gotten better over the first few months of 2021 because we have held on.
With some exceptions, the coronavirus pandemic seems to be under control.
Businesses have opened back up.
And sports appear to be back to normal with some stadiums even allowing fans back into the stands.
Last year tried to take us out.
But people have begun to rebound and resurrect the old life that they led before the pandemic kicked us all in the behind.
As a result, when life gets difficult, as it always does, people who survived the pandemic should look back over the last 365-plus days and realize if the pandemic could not stop them, nothing can.
