Today’s reading comes from the fifth book of Anne of Green Gables, the children’s books, mostly created in a Presbyterian manse by Lucy Maud Montgomery. The life of worthy Presbyterian Canadians infuses these books – but is wiped from the movies and TV series. Towards the end of “Anne of the Island” the fifth of the eight Anne books Anne Shirley discovers Gilbert the young man whose non-romance with her has dragged the reader through four books has caught typhoid, and could die.
“There is a book of Revelation in everyone’s life, as there is in the Bible.” Montgomery wrote. Anne read hers that bitter night.”
As dawn breaks she rushes to find out if Gilbert has survived the night. A neighbour of Gilbert’s family passes by – and with the news “he was was beautiful as those who bring good news on the mountains.” (Did a mention this is a very Presbyterian book series?)
The chapter closes with “A sentence from a very old, very wise very wonderful book came to her lips: ‘Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning.'”
That’s Psalm 30:5 in the KJV.
And it’s our verse as we explore the joy of the resurrection. The resurrection opens up again the possibilities that we had lost.
Of joy, service, relationship, work, a life with meaning.
Or as Paul puts it “For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.” (Romans 6:4 NLT)
New means new. Life means life.
Today is a day of freedom because our old constraints of habit and temptation have been detected. It might take time and effort to live into that reality – undoubtedly. But the possibility has been opened up to us.
Thank God for this new day. We, too, have been raised.
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2: 4–7 NIV)
Image Credit: William HC Chong