Called To Be Easter People
Lynne Therese Elwinger, O.C.D.
Spring has definitely arrived here in Iowa! Flowers are blooming, birds are singing, and temperatures are rising, even more than enough for April. With all the up and down weather we’ve had in the past month, I think I’ve had Spring Fever at least four times – a new record! All around us there is an enviable surge of energy in nature. Everything that has been dormant all winter is springing to life to a wake-up call unheard by us. It seems as if everything that was unplugged for winter has suddenly been plugged in again, profoundly reconnected to the universe’s power grid. And Easter has arrived, calling us once again to live our lives as Easter People with an Alleluia song. Sometimes this is easier said than done. Nature seems to do a better job of it!
The Organ Came To Life
Reflecting on this, I am reminded of an amusing story told to us by a friend recently. She had been asked to check on another friend’s home organ which suddenly had stopped responding to the “on” switch. A general check of the organ itself didn’t reveal any clues, so then they wondered if the cord wasn’t working. The check of the cord from the instrument to the strip into which it was connected didn’t reveal anything unusual, but something else caught our investigator’s eye. The cord and plug at the other end of the strip was also plugged into the same strip. When that was removed and put into the wall outlet to the power source, the organ once again came to life, offering its melodious tones.
Months before, we had also enjoyed the tale of another friend, a computer expert, who one day experienced a similar problem with his computer. After checking a number of things, he was coming to the conclusion that he would have to rebuild the computer. Then he noticed something in the back of the setup that he had missed. The power switch, situated at a height just perfect for his inquisitive toddler grandchild to reach, had been “mysteriously” turned off. Once turned on again, the computer worked perfectly.
Gift of the Holy Spirit to the World
These two seeming “energy crises” came to mind as I watched everything outside come to life. I thought of the ways in which God’s gift of the Holy Spirit to the world, which we celebrate in a special way at Pentecost, provides us with our own reconnection to the Divine Source of all creation. Each of us has within us the God-given soul-wiring which enables us to live as Easter people. But unless we are plugged in to the main Source, living in this way can become a very difficult task. Even the disciples, who had walked with Jesus, had trouble doing this consistently before Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit upon them in the Upper Room. As promised, Jesus sends the Spirit upon us as well. We, however, have to do our part and “plug in”. We also have to keep our power switch turned on to receive the incoming Spirit flow. Otherwise, the Spirit can’t work through our lives very effectively, despite our best intentions.
In our culture of self-sufficiency, we value the do-it-yourself approach to everything. We have been led to believe that we should be able to handle whatever comes along, and we can tend to be too reluctant to ask for help. This approach easily carries over to our spiritual lives as well. In the hustle and bustle of life as we know it, it is easy to forget to nurture our connections to Source energy, to God’s Spirit, waiting within and among us to give all the help we need. Then the challenges of life can seem more overwhelming and the struggle quite discouraging. We forget what it means to live an empowered life.
What Helps Us Reconnect
Each of us is created a unique individual and our means of plugging in to the Spirit can be equally unique. When we reflect on it though, we usually know in our hearts what helps us to reconnect. It might be a short walk in nature, our favorite music or poetry or art, or just a few moments of solitude, that opens our hearts and gets us back in the flow. It takes some discipline to make sure that these times don’t get left out of our day, but doing this consistently can make a big difference in our lives. We won’t be free of the problems of living in this world, but we will be having powerful aid in dealing with them as they arise. When we make a point of staying connected, we can truly live as Easter people, witnesses of the fact that the risen Christ is still present in our world.
Sr. Lynne Thérèse Elwinger of the Resurrection O.C.D.