To live in the light of the resurrection – that is what Easter means.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

What does Easter mean to you? I love this quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer about what Easter means, words which Bonhoeffer wrote from a prison cell, in between air raids and under the constant threat of death. This makes his faith-filled words all the more poignant and profound, doesn’t it? Bonhoeffer clearly practiced his faith and truly lived his life “in the light of the resurrection.” It is one of the reasons we are still reading his words today, and one of the reasons why he continues to be one of my heroes of the faith. Here is a longer excerpt of this passage, which is from a letter that he wrote to his dear friend, Eberhard Bethge in April 1944:

Being able to face dying doesn’t yet mean we can face death. It’s possible for a human being to manage dying, but overcoming death means resurrection. It is not through the art of dying but through Christ’s resurrection that a new and cleansing wind can blow through our present world. This is the answer to the “Give me a place to stand and I will move the Earth.” If a few people really believe this and were guided by it in their earthly actions, a great deal would change. To live in the light of the resurrection – that is what Easter means.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison

I hope that as we continue to live through these challenging days, we can all “live in the light of the resurrection” until that new and cleansing wind, of which Bonhoeffer’s writes so movingly here, can blow through our present world. Let this be our place to stand, on the solid ground of the resurrection of our Lord, and we will be able to move the earth, with the help of our risen and ever-present Lord.

Blessings to you this Eastertide. Christ is risen! Alleluia!