I first wrote this article back in 2020 as “Can We Rise Again?”; at that time I’d hoped that we were nearing the end of the Covid pandemic and that Easter would see us gathering again without fear or masks. That was not to be.

Six years later, our nation faces other trials – immigrant families terrorized in our city streets, the history of minorities – of our very beginnings as a nation – being eradicated from public places and school books, LGBTQ rights being questioned, and women’s voices and those of religious minorities being silenced or ridiculed.

As with the Covid pandemic, disappointment has given me pause. I’m no different than the disciples—they, too, hoped for a quick Kingdom victory. Instead, they lost Jesus to crucifixion. The disciples feared they had no future—we are consumed by constant bad news. The disciples did not know about Jesus’ resurrection; we are agnostic about when and how this ends.

We say we are an Easter people, but the persistent question is, can we rise again?

I say we can.

It’s not easy to maintain a strong belief in possibility in the face of frightening news. Even the disciples had a hard time with it.  

But, Jesus believed that he would rise again. In other words, Jesus believed in possibility.

Jesus Believed in Possibility 

Several times in the Gospels, he confided in his disciples that things would get very dark, very bleak. However, the light would dawn again. Jesus told them, “The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days He will rise.” Mark 9:31

Not only did Jesus believe in the possibility for himself, he thought it for his disciples. He told them that even though they would all scatter once he was threatened, he would still be there for them. “But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Mark 14:28 Indeed, he met them on the path as they headed back to Galilee.

Soulful Step 

Right now, right here—amid disappointment and discord—it’s time to up your faith in a positive, albeit unseen, future. The bleaker the circumstances, the more critical it is to believe in possibility. Besides making your voice heard, standing up for the oppressed, taking real action to help others both in your community and in the nation, thinking in opportunity is the most critical thing you can do right now.

Embrace the Belief  

As your soul makes room for this new level of belief in possibility, use the DARE model to embrace and embody the idea. Adapted from Dream Like Jesus: Deepen Your Faith and Bring the Impossible to Life, this model invites you to use your imagination to call forth something new into being.

DARE to Dream

DREAM:

1. Begin to dream now of what a positive future could look like.
2. Focus on your future habits, gratitudes, family life, or congregational structure.
3. Allow the Holy Spirit to shape your vision and guide your thoughts and actions.

ALIGN: Align yourself with God by receiving divine courage, comfort, and confidence to dare to dream. Then invite others into your dream of a new future by sharing it out loud.

REALIZE: We have realized just how precious our human connection is. Reach out to those who might be feeling neglected, or even fearful, at this time. Show them by your actions that you’re there for them.

EXPAND: Watch how one good idea expands into others. Watch how spirits rise, buoyed on the life-giving stream of possibility. I know many people who had never taken to the streets to practice 1^st Amendment right who are now speaking out for others without fear. As clergy leadership, it’s especially important to be on the front lines of fighting injustice.

Apostolic Action

Build your resilience to fear, resignation, and hopelessness by carrying good news on your lips. The time to act is now.

I know it’s not easy to maintain a strong belief in possibility in the face of frightening news. But as the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously said, “I was not afraid of the words of the violent, but of the silence of the honest.”

We can rise again, and we WILL rise again. As Jesus did. Join me on that journey.

Adapted and edited from “Can We Rise Again?”, March 29, 2021.

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