“Resurrection is not a miracle to be proven; it is a manifestation of the wholeness that we are all meant to experience, even in this world.”
–Richard Rohr
Rohr believes one of the greatest and most beautiful symbols the human heart seeks and desires is of resurrection, which is seen as a universal pattern of the undoing of death.
For Christians, this is clearly seen in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Because Christ has risen from the dead, we have hope; death is undone. “Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was” (Romans 6:5).
The wisdom and power of the resurrection is that it can be seen in all of life. The changing of seasons is one such example.
Spring is a season of new birth and hope. After the barrenness of winter we long to see the world come alive again, to see the green grass and the budding trees, to hear the birds singing and see the flowers arrayed in all their splendid beauty. What a joy to witness each year!
But don’t miss that spring comes after winter, which comes after fall. The trees must drop their leaves in the fall and wait through the cold winter months before budding again in the spring. God is showing us something in this seasonal pattern.
Before renewal there is death and a period of waiting.
Before the joy of Resurrection Sunday, there was the pain and crucifixion of Good Friday, and the loneliness and grief of Holy Saturday.
This is a universal pattern.
So when it comes to the renewal of marriage, we shouldn’t really expect to see something different. For new life to break through in marriage there must also be death, which is usually followed by a season of waiting.
Many couples stay stuck because they are not willing to die daily to their old patterns of relating. They eventually give up in despair, believing things will never change, or even can change. Other couples want to skip over the periods of grief and waiting. Trying to avoid any sense of emptiness, they often settle for the latest fad or popular marriage program.
If we don’t die to the old we cannot experience the new. Likewise, if we don’t allow a period of rest and healing, we are not prepared to receive the fullness of life, which is available even in this world.
The pattern seen in Christ and in nature reminds us that before experiencing new life in marriage there must also be a death and a period of waiting.
And here’s the good news. The same power that raised Jesus from the grave lives in us and can work in our marriage. Will you trust in this Power and in the pattern shown?
Are you ready for new life to break through in your marriage? What do you need to die to? Is this your season of waiting, the Holy Saturday before Easter morning? Are you willing to wait patiently?
“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”
–Romans 8:11
