It comes as a surprise, even to some of the most ardent Christians, that Easter is a season and not just a Sunday. That it is 50 whole days long—7x7 plus an extra day for good measure, ten days longer than Lent!
When my daughter was 2, we had this running family joke. During Lent, we’d look at her sternly and say, “Don’t say it! You’re not supposed to say it!” She’d look at us with a twinkle and say softly, “Ah-yu-yah!” and then cover her mouth with both hands, unable to contain her glee.
I loved the defiance of her illicit Alleluias. All around us, the earth was exploding in color and bloom; she just couldn’t resist joining in! And who could blame her? Our world is beautiful, and creation resilient (people, too). But we have had much to lament these days; as I write this, there are families in Nashville mourning their children, killed in a school shooting. There are church and civic communities in the South rallying to help neighbors kneecapped by ferocious storms. And on and on—some of it natural disaster, some of it due to human design.
This year, I’ve done something a little different—instead of just marking the Lenten season with practices and devotion, I’ve committed to finding something worthy of an Alleluia each day until Pentecost. And if I can’t easily find it (which, I think, would be a failure of imagination), I’ll create something worthy of the proclamation. We live in times that make the Alleluias challenging at times, but all the more necessary. As Christians, we dare to hope that suffering and disaster are neither simply inevitable nor the end, but rejoice that abundant life is both—inasmuch as we are called to help create the conditions in which that life can flourish.
What will your daily Alleluia practice look like? Let us know at coned@pts.edu! Flood the inbox with delight. I promise to share the results with all of you!
Alleluia!
Helen Blier
Director, Continuing Education
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