Sharing the Good News: An Easter Reflection

Did you ever have news that was so exciting, so important, so urgent, that you could not wait to share it? Imagine the spice-bearing women who encounter the Angels at the empty tomb learning that it was all true – everything that Jesus had told them would happen had, indeed, happened. They rushed from what had been a moment of ritual grief and mourning and ran to tell the other followers of Jesus what they had witnessed.

Easter gives us a whole year’s worth of joy and light and excitement in one glorious moment. As we hear the triple Alleluia for the first time, the spark is ignited within us, and our souls are alight with the need to share this joy with others. Smiles are broad and handshakes are enthusiastic on Easter Sunday in church.

This is the exact spirit which we carry with us all year that inspires us to share not only the Good News, but also the ways in which our lives have been transformed by God’s blessings. We share our time, talent, and treasure freely because of the love we have experienced in redemption and in the death-defying power of Jesus and his ministry in the world. Such an enthusiasm cannot be contained, it must be recounted. Like Peter, who was skeptical when the women came to tell him of the Resurrection, others might wonder what has gotten into us: why we are so willing to release our gifts into the world rather than safeguard them in a tomb. But we who have experienced the destruction of darkness and the return of the light will know why we do what we do. It is a story we will rush to share with the world.

Question for Reflection:
What ministry or program in your church is so inspiring to you that you want to tell others about it?

Cn. J. Davey Gerhard serves as Executive Director of TENS: The Episcopal Network for Stewardship and can’t wait to tell people about the great things his church is doing in the world.