There’s good reason to be worried. There’s good reason to be pessimistic. There is little reason to be hopeful. But Easter brings hope in the midst of doubt.

For those who have eyes to see, or hearts to discern; Easter changed everything, though only a small group of people understood that at the time and that might well be true now too. In the decades following the Resurrection, things didn’t get better, they got worse. The Roman Empire destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem and drove Jesus’ people from their ancestral home. Yet, despite the obvious unfolding calamity, the seeds of a new reality had been planted that were to change everything within a few centuries.

Sustaining our sense of hope is seldom easy, especially if we’re focusing on the rush of events and thereby missing the arc of history. Easter is the ground of our hope, though often our hope is more of a spiritual discipline than a clear and present reality. To be an Easter people in a time such as this is to believe when it’s difficult to believe. It’s an act of faith. A stubborn act of faith – when there’s little reason to hope.

You can view the sermon directly at this link.