Dear God,

Dear God, 

Happy Easter, and once again, Hope got up early.

It’s still dark, but I know the sun will rise, and there will be light again. 

Mother Earth seems to be planning a beautiful day. 

If you see her, please thank her. 

I know you’re busy today, but since I’m up early, could we talk again?

I’ve been thinking about the story of Barabbas and Jesus.
One man was full of vengeance; the other was love. 
One was innocent. The other was a known insurrectionist.

And still, Pontius gave the people a choice.
I get it. It was part of the master plan.
But I can’t help wondering what it says about us.

When fear grips a crowd, mercy disappears, and justice falls.

Who do we free today, God?
Who do we condemn?
What are we still afraid of?

Because it seems like we’re still choosing power over principle,
anger over love, and vengeance over healing.

They say we need to be powerful to eliminate the bad guys.
But there are always more “bad guys,” aren’t there?
There will be someone tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after.

Until someone finds out you wrote a book about inclusion or reposted something Maya wrote or there’s a video of you standing at a protest.
 
Or you have a tattoo.
That’s all it takes.
Now you’re the problem.
Now you’re the bad guy.

I know this isn’t what people want to hear on Easter. 

They want chocolate bunnies, marshmallow peeps, and a mimosa with brunch.

But maybe the story of Easter isn’t all about rejoicing. 

Maybe it’s meant to wake us up.

To remind us that Jesus, and I’ll include Moses, didn’t teach us to hate the “other.” They, instead, washed their feet. They welcomed strangers. They showed us how to love our neighbors.

They showed us that love and peace were the most powerful ways to lead. They’re so powerful that it scares those who cling to the status quo.

I know you need to run or float or however you do you, so here’s my ask for today:

Grant us the courage to remember how powerful we are when we stand together in love, not fear. As you continue to roll stones away, please remove the ones we’ve piled around our hearts. Help us choose compassion when fear tightens its grip. Help us see the fragile humanity we all share. 

And help us stay hopeful when others use apathy as a weapon.

Thanks for listening.

May peace be with us.

Michael

Dear God is a series of post within The Ripple Effect. If you wish to read the other ones you can find them on my website. 

On May 4th, I’m going the wonderful people from Love Your Brain and cycling through NYC to help survivors of TBI feel whole again. If you would like to donate to the cause and support my ride, you can make donation here: Keep Pedaling