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Alleluia! Yahoo! Yes!! Oh death, where is thy sting? This morning, today, it is rolled away with a stone that reveals an empty tomb. The miracle of Easter is a whole lot more amazing than the miracle of Christmas. And there’s not the pressure to go in debt for gifts unless you know an overly extravagant Easter bunny! The season of Easter is hanging in there with religious significance. It’s spring. How can one not notice the miracle of new life? Not just Christmas life as in a newborn baby but Good Friday life, descending into hell and rising up victorious.

There came into the world a light, and the darkness has never put it out. Darkness tries. It seems like it succeeds. But count on it, God’s light will never go out.

This year the church seasons have been on a fast track. Advent snuck up, set a furious pace, and we have not slowed down. Sprinting was never my forte. I prefer to amble and smell the flowers. Ash Wednesday happened before most Christmas decorations were put away! If you haven’t noticed, Easter is early this year.

Easter is always the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox, March 20. This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around our Roman calendar.

Based on the above formula, Easter can actually be one day earlier than today – March 22. But that is rare. This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives. And only the most senior in our population have ever before seen it this close to the official start of spring. The last time Easter was this early was in 1913. So, those of you age 95 and older, you have the honor of experiencing two early Easters in your lifetime. The rest of us will need to wait 152 years for another March 23 Easter.

Truth be told, I am still in a Lent kind of mood. Listening to the news, reading pundit’s commentaries, noticing my own spirit’s wrestling with weighty gravity – Alleluia is a declaration of faith. I find the political and spiritual fervor in our country to be standing in front of the tomb arguing over whether to move the stone or keep it in place.

The United States is still divided. We are still arguing, debating, denying, and mourning the fact that racism permeates our culture. I am proud and grateful for the work of this congregation as we begin to explore white privilege. I am distraught in listening to the media air pronouncements that condemn my United Church of Christ colleague, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. I am distraught listening to people condemn the congregation of Trinity UCC, Obama’s home church. What we have here is a failure to understand the diversity of Christian churches, a failure to respect the context of a preacher’s message and his life long Bible rooted ministry, and a failure to recognize the face and consequences of racism. I fear that our country is not yet ready or willing to roll away the stone.

What does this have to do with Easter? Easter is what makes the struggle worth enduring because we know the way to the cross is no picnic, and we know the cross is soon empty, just like the tomb. Suffering is not eternal, life is! Life is eternal. Hope is eternal. God is eternal. Easter happens everyday. Every day is a new beginning.

True story. There was a little girl who was very naughty at school one day. She had to be taken out of class for awhile. At the end of the afternoon, her teacher bent over and told her, “Tara, tomorrow is a new day.” Tara’s mother called the teacher later that night. “I want to thank you for what you said to Tara today.” The teacher was a little mystified. The mom explained, “I was ready to really punish Tara. When she told me what you said to her, it made me stop and think. I still scolded her but with a softer heart. Tomorrow is a new day. What a gift you gave her.”

Another story. Phillip was born with Down’s Syndrome. He was part of the third grade church school class. As is the case sometimes, children tease and make fun of other kids that are different. They knew it was wrong but sometimes a few of them just couldn’t help it.

One day the teacher gave them each a plastic egg. The kind that you often find in your yard on Easter. These eggs were empty. She told them to go outside and find things that reminded them of spring, Easter and new life. Back in the classroom they would share, one at a time, what they found.

Gathered in a circle on the floor, the teacher and children were eager to see the treasures. There was a new green leaf. A butterfly. A yellow flower. Then Phillip opened his egg. It was empty. The children laughed. “You did it wrong, Phillip. You didn’t put anything in your egg.” Phillip was not discouraged. “I know it is empty. The tomb is empty.”

Phillip got Easter. Death was no longer in the cave. It’s empty. God has turned death into life, rolled the heavy stone away and says, “Choose life, my people. Choose life!”

Paul writes to the Colossians, “So, if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up and be alert to what is going on around Christ. That’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.”

Holy One, remove the stones that keep sealed our despair, doubts and depression. Like that first Easter morning, make us speechless by your power. Jesus, may we each embody your resurrection, your love. We ask to be instruments of courage, compassion and faith – that we may help roll away the stones of hatred in our country and in our world.

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