By Pastor Don Schatz
Tax Relief?
“The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”
Luke 24:5 New Revised Standard Version
My sister and her husband were biking in Stuttgart, Germany on Easter afternoon. They came upon the chalk message “Jesus lebt! Frohliche Ostern.” Jesus Lives! Happy Easter! Surprise! Just as the women were surprised when they approached the tomb of Jesus. Surprised to see the tomb open. Surprised to see angels. Surprised to hear, “Jesus lebt! Frohliche Ostern.” Filled with surprised wonder, shock, happiness and perhaps a bit of disbelief, they hurried back to tell the others, “Jesus Lives! Happy Easter!” Well, maybe not the Happy Easter part.
It is not Easter today. It is Tax Day. So perhaps reliving Easter joy is a nice surprise today. If you had the surprise of a tax return this year, you were likely smiling already. Reliving the surprise of Easter joy is even better. Encountering the message in a surprising place like an asphalt bike path would be even better. Do you have some chalk?
Even without chalk, you can be the personification the Easter message. Your smile, your happy walk, your compassionate presence with someone who is have a taxing day, are all “chalk on life’s pathway,” sharing the surprising good news that Jesus lives. Imagine what joy those Easter angels must have felt at being the first to tell Jesus’ followers that he was alive. HE is alive! He IS alive! He is ALIVE! You guessed it. I’m suggesting that you are God’s angels today, his Easter messenger of surprising life and joy. Now, where is that chalk?
Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
