"Reflections"

Happy Easter!!  What a beautiful, beautiful day in so many ways!


After a wonderful service this morning in Spokane, I headed to Moses Lake for a photo shoot.  Just as I was pulling into town, however, I learned that there had been a miscommunication, and the photo shoot had been cancelled.  Of course I was frustrated, as putting an afternoon aside for such a thing is not done with a simple blink of an eye, but I took a deep breath and headed over to my sister's where I spent an incredible afternoon loving on my two young nephews.  I then had the novel idea of taking advantage of my own fancy camera, and called up my friend who enthusiastically agreed to head down to the lake and enjoy the sunset with me (one of my favorite things about Moses Lake is that you can always count on a beautiful sunset).  We snapped a handful of pictures, and a few actually came out quite well!  I will reschedule the more formal photo shoot soon, but for now, here's a sneak peek from today!

 

I have spent almost the entirety of the last few days participating in a production of the play "Reflections of Calvary".  I have greatly struggled this year not having much of a support network in Spokane (I just moved here in August from six hours away in Bellingham), and I initially chose to get involved with the production as a way of making friends outside the classroom and having fellowship on a weekly basis beyond the typical church service.  What I have received, particularly in the last week, however, has been so much more than what I had hoped for.  I have walked away with a new family.  And I could not possibly be more thankful to those who have embraced me in such a way.

              

In addition to the new connections though, I have also gained a much deeper understanding of Easter: no longer is Easter just a story for me; it's life.  In the production, I played the part of a female Jew (a maid) who cried for the execution of Christ.  I literally fought against the guards in order to spit and scream at "Jesus" with all I had to give.  Standing there watching as Christ "died" a very realistic death, I hated the character I was playing.  I wanted to think "how could anyone do such a thing?!"  But then I realized, even if I was not literally there screaming in the historical time, I also have Christ's blood on my hands.  Christ's death was mandatory because of MY sins.

Another very impactful moment I had through the course of the production was when I filled in as "the adulteress woman".  I was a last minute stand in, and I told my co-actors, who would be dragging me in, to give it their all.  So, with no preparation, I fought and screamed for my life as I was dragged by several burly men and forcefully hurled onto the stage, my death being demanded for.  As I lay in a heap on the stage, heart-pounding and heaving sobs (though an artificial sob, one with much emotion all the same), I realized how, in many ways, I am equally worthy of a terrible fate.  As "Jesus" then told the men that he who is without sin should cast the first stone, I felt the floor shake with the thudding drop of the rocks around me (the men leaving in frustration).  "Jesus" then took my hand in his, and gently lifted me off the ground as he told me that I had been forgiven and instructed me to go on and sin no more.  In that moment, I understood that it is for my sins, too, that Christ has reached His hand out, and freed me from an otherwise certain devastating fate.

This, my friends, is the point of Easter.  We have ALL sinned and equally fallen short of worthiness.  I am certainly no exception to this.  But because of Christ's love, death and resurrection, with a belief in Christ we have the opportunity of a beautiful and forgiving future.  

Happy Easter!  He has risen!  He has risen indeed!!!!