Easter: Expansive
Dear friends and members of St. Matt's,
This morning, before diving into another day of virtual meetings, I spent a few minutes reading the news. To be honest, I'm limiting my intake of the news these days; being careful about both source and quantity. But this morning, something I read caused me to think about space. All of us - who have the privilege of being at home - are in our own little spaces. We're contained in a way that we haven't been before. If you look at what's trending on social media, everything is about staying home, about what to do at home, about how to not go stir crazy. And even on Canva (the website we use to pull stock photos & create images for the parish), the pictures that are most popular right now are of little tiny spaces, people with gloves on, plastic barriers, and masks. All things that contain us.
Again, I want to say - this is for good reason, and you should continue to stay home as much as you can, to do everything in your power not to spread this virus. And. Something else. We were never meant to be this contained, this hemmed in. We are part of God's creation, meant to be connected to the world around us, and meant to be a little free and a little wild. So today, as the sun shines for the first time (in what feels like forever, I mean...) in a few days, I'd ask you to think about how you can reclaim that sense of expansiveness, of space and of grace.
There are big skies above us, big trees around us, big hills to run, and long coasts to drive by. Whatever it is that will help you remember your place in creation today, and that we're all connected - whatever it is that will help you feel less contained, I hope that you'll find a way to have that today and throughout the week. Because it is still Easter. And Easter is a celebration of God's love: love that can never be contained. Love that is expansive. Love that expands us.
All throughout scripture we are reminded that God's love is the instigator of all things, the power behind creation, the force that knits our bodies together, the persistent drive toward salvation. And at Easter, we celebrate a love that cannot be contained even by death. And because Jesus cannot be contained, because God's love cannot be contained, neither can you. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive. At Easter, God's love not only proves that it will always have the last word - but that it is expansive enough to save, claim, and welcome all people, no matter what. That means you. And me. And everyone else. Imagine how big and wide and expansive God must be to be able to hold all of us and all of creation in love.
Remind yourself today of your place in God's expansive, loving creation. Notice something you haven't noticed in these last few weeks. Remember that you are loved. Do something that will bring you joy. And even this time, even this strange season, even our desire to flatten the curve of this virus - even this cannot contain us forever. Because you are made of a love that never loses, never fails, and never dies.
Faithfully,
--Marissa +
Tags: Welcome from the Rector