Are you sure?
This bookmark will be removed from all folders and any saved notes will be permanently removed.
My Easter prayer: to model Jesus' life of love
Originally appeared on spirituality.com
Easter is early this year, and springtime has followed suit here in London, England. The middle of March boasts blue skies, daffodils aplenty and magnolia blossoms on the verge of blooming. The first warm sunshine of the year is drawing people like me to the benches by Barnes Pond, near my workplace, to soak up the sun, feed the waterfowl and—if so inclined—quietly pray. I am so inclined, and I bask joyfully in sunlight without and within.
I recall an Easter some years back, which was similar to today on the outside though anything but sunny within. I had made a point of reading the story of the crucifixion of Jesus in the Gospels, and this left my mental landscape dark and gloomy. It made sense in a way. The crucifixion narratives tell of malicious motives and conspiracies leading to a heinous crime—the totally unjust execution of “the best man that ever trod the globe,” as Mary Baker Eddy, who discovered Christian Science, describes Jesus in her book Science and Health.
Though my gloom was understandable, I didn’t want to feel despondent about Jesus. Wasn’t his life about spreading light and hope, not darkness and despair?
Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.
