Christ Is Risen Indeed

The Eastern Church keeps the good news of the resurrection alive with the greeting, "Christ is risen" and the response, "He is risen indeed", or "He is truly risen."  As we move further away from the fervor and excitement of Easter morning, we need to deepen our understanding of that "truly risen" if we are to sustain our Easter enthusiasm.  He is truly risen if we are more compassionate toward others and towards ourselves, if we express our love for others in deeds...going the "extra mile" to do favors for them, to boost them from their discouragement, to be with them in sorrow, to calm their anxieties and melt down their impatience, to chip away at our own self-seeking and fill our empty spaces with purpose and joy.  The phrase, "Easter People" was popular several years ago, but it remains a fact:  our baptisms have given us new life, new roles, and a new relationship with God and one another.  Our Lenten disciplines, we trust, have honed our behaviors so that we can bear witness that not only has Jesus arisen, but that we have risen with him.  Yes, Christ has risen indeed, and so have we!
Bro. Rene