He Is Risen!
Date: April 9th, Easter 2023
Size: 30” x 30”
[Not For Sale]
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. —Matthew 28:18
Before starting the service, we prayed in a circle for Jesus’ life to be experienced by all who gathered this Easter Sunday. We also asked for an atmosphere of celebration! Then, I stood for 30 minutes in front of a blank canvas, listening, waiting, praying, and believing that an image would come to me…my mind was blank! When the band played a song with the lyrics… "I once was a prisoner, but now I’m running free." I got an image of first light cracking the dark sky at sunrise…Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus running arm-in-arm away from the tomb…vibrant and electrified…wide eyed with wonder! They would go on to give their lives to the cause of making this news known to everyone in the whole world. The Good News that he lives!
Doug delivered the Easter message and he quoted the verse above about the two Mary’s running from the tomb. He talked about how some call this “fake news,” but Doug then proceeded to explain how it’s not. The Romans in their savage and ordered way, knowing there might be a plot to have Jesus’ body stolen, would never have permitted this ragtag bunch to get away with that. Also, his followers suddenly changed from cowering in fear of the Romans (the fact they even wrote about their own cowardice was unusual), to running out into the streets to shout it. I have had my share of cowardly moments for sure! So, being able to stand in front of a bunch of people waiting for an idea to come…then painting it in 2.5 hours…was both a little scary…emotional…and fun…I felt alive…I felt his life. And so, today gives me more courage and reason to believe that…yes…he is still living…and in him we all have life!