Easter Dreams

Leonard Sweet writes that Easter gives us the ability to see the world differently. Not to deny its brokenness — but to refuse to let the brokenness have the last word.

He puts it this way. Because of the resurrection, Christians can expectantly dream:

- of abundance, even in the midst of poverty. 

- of compassion, even in the midst of divisiveness. 

- of justice, even in the midst of inequity. 

- of love, even in the midst of hate.

I keep coming back to that word — dream. Because our dreams shape us. They tell us where we're headed, what we're living for, what we believe is actually possible. If we have no dreams, life goes flat. If our dreams are only about ourselves, life goes small. But if our dreams are rooted in the promise of Easter — that God can and does turn despair to hope, hatred to love, death to life — then everything opens up.

A few years ago I asked my congregation to share their Easter dreams. Here is what some of them said:

That my family would continue their journey of faith even after I am gone.

That we would find a way to address systemic poverty and racism.

That God would heal my children from the pain they carry.

That our nation would be healed from hatred. That we would experience revival.

That I would practice humility in all things — and that God would remove whatever pride gets in the way.

Peace. Inner peace. Peace among all people.

Those are bold dreams. But then again, Easter is a bold claim.

It is the claim that the same Power that raised Jesus from the dead is still at work. In you. In the church. In the world. Right now.

That's not wishful thinking. That's the ground we stand on.

So — what is your Easter dream?

Prayer: God of new and abundant life, may the power of the Risen Christ work in us and through us — to bring about what we cannot bring about on our own. To make real what we can only, for now, dream. In his name we pray. Amen.

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