Article March 17, 2008 Issue

THE RESURRECTING POWER OF GRATITUDE

BY LYLE YOUNG

At Easter season, the thoughts of Christians around the world turn to Christ Jesus' sacrifice and his eventual triumph over death. According to the accounts of Matthew and Mark, Jesus was thinking about Psalm 22 during the crucifixion. This psalm starts with an expression of abject hopelessness and aloneness. But it ends in a hymn of glory to God, with the promise that He will liberate not just the Psalmist but "all the ends of the world" (22:27). What an inspiring illustration of resurrection, of moving from depression to victory and including everyone in the process!

But as we consider Jesus' resurrection, it may not be easy to see a connection between it and our daily lives. However, I've found that there's a link between the immediacy and naturalness of gratitude and the throw-off-the-limitations-now exultation of the resurrection.

Mary Baker Eddy also saw a connection between expressing thankfulness and experiencing the blessings of resurrection. Referring to Jesus, she wrote: "Gratitude and love should abide in every heart each day of all the years. Those sacred words of our beloved Master, 'Let the dead bury their dead,' and 'Follow thou me,' appeal to daily Christian endeavors for the living whereby to exemplify our risen Lord" (Church Manual, p. 60).