How Does the Resurrection Affect Your Life?
Father Basil Pennington, a Roman Catholic monk, tells of an encounter he once had with a teacher of Zen. Pennington was at a retreat. As part of the retreat, each person met privately with this Zen teacher. Pennington says that at his meeting the Zen teacher sat there before him smiling from ear to ear and rocking gleefully back and forth. Finally the teacher said: “I like Christianity. But I would not like Christianity without the resurrection. I want to see your resurrection!”
Pennington notes that, “With his directness, the teacher was saying what everyone else implicitly says to Christians: You are a Christian. You are risen with Christ. Show me (what this means for you in your life) and I will believe.” That is how people know if the resurrection is true or not. Does it affect how we live?
And we have to ask ourselves, How does the life I lead reflect the resurrection of Christ in my life? When I interact with others in my daily life do those around me see someone resurrected or do they see someone with bitterness, hatred and no hope? We choose! We choose the resurrected life or we choose the life that leads to death!
On this Easter morning make a choice….
Wesley United Methodist Church, Orange TX 