By General Presbyter Rev. Anita Bernhardt
I am often distressed or delighted by the weather. Today, while large flakes of snow steadily fall outside my window, Holy Week storms my mind – just 4 days away. Anyone who lives in this part of the country knows that, despite what the calendar or Punxsutawney Phil may suggest, winter is usually not over in March. Snowfall can dust our rooftops and crowd budding crocuses well into April.
So, why does an early Spring snow seem particularly fitting for Holy Week? Perhaps because in our strain toward Easter, resurrection, and new life, we are reminded that the people of God still often dwell in winter. We may bloom in bright colors and shine in our love for Jesus for a season, but the possibility of sin and setback can sneak up and cloud our good intentions at any moment. We are utterly dependent on God’s pervasive grace to keep us from coldness over kindness, resentment over forgiveness, and stubborn emotions over genuine love. The fragile state of grace at play in our lives is not unlike the intense struggle of disciples (then and now) during Holy Week. We savor a fine meal around the table with Jesus and, at the same time, ponder actions that deny and denigrate the Savior. We cannot remain awake and alert in our prayer life and dose off like the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. We draw back, protect ourselves, and spurn the presence of violence and death. We look at the cross and see only its dreadful punishment and guilt instead of its enormous, sacrificial love. Our confusion, anxiety, and mistrust are palpable – just as with the first disciples of Jesus during that tumultuous week.
At the same time, the grand themes of forgiveness and mercy completely cover our Holy Week journey the way the soft snow is a white forgiveness, covering the scars of living on the earth. Ugly garbage cans and barbeque grills wear a vaulted cap of smooth white. The dark earth and gray stalks of winter weeds are transformed into a bright, serene landscape. The trees are frosted in sparkling ornamentation. If God can so easily transform the natural world, how much greater is our own hope? If the view outside my window today is of winter, but the sure conviction of the coming Spring is so securely in my head, how much more can we see the resurrection coming? How much more can our hearts understand the power of Christ’s love? How much more can we envision before our very eyes, that mighty love transforming the whole earth? In the snow of winter, in sight of the cross of Calvary, the empty tomb looms large. By God’s grace, we are being transformed into Resurrection people. Praise be to Christ Jesus, our Lord – the Risen One!