You Raise Me Up

It’s Easter Sunday. The sun’s shining. It’s a happy day, with lambs, eggs, rabbits and spring flowers… But there’s more…

Churches throughout the world will sing and speak with joy of an open, empty tomb, of a man who died and came back to life… But there’s more…

 There will grand confessions of faith:

• ‘He is not here, He is risen!’
• ‘Christ has  died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again!’
• ‘The power of death is defeated!’

There will be statements of a Jesus who is still alive… a God of hope, strength, life, love, salvation, eternal life, heaven… But there’s still more.

When I am down and, oh, my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.

It’s about weary, troubled people who are waiting and then transformed… Sadness becomes joy, despair becomes hope, disbelief becomes certainty, weakness becomes strength, death becomes life, and love conquers everything.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up to more than I can be.

Musing… You raise me up… Easter resurrection isn’t just about an old story; it isn’t just about life after death… it’s about me today…

It’s about Jesus, a person, that meets my questioning, fears and failures. It’s about a power that transforms. I don’t climb my mountains but stand on them; I don’t drown but walk on the stormy seas.

In a way I don’t fully understand I join in the resurrection process now – ‘You raise me up to more than I can be.’ …sharing my God’s life, love, joy and hope.

There is no life – no life without its hunger;
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;
But when you come and I am filled with wonder,
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.