Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
Spring cleaning is a ritual found in many cultures, especially those in colder climates where people are confined indoors by the weather for long weeks at a time. But even in Texas, when one of these bright sunny days we’ve been blessed with recently arrives on the heels of weeks of cold dreary weather, the idea of cleaning inside and outside is an especially appealing one.
And I’ll bet most of us who like to garden headed to the nurseries that are filled with spring blooms and baby tomato plants. They are hard to resist, aren’t they? Last Saturday, under the warmth of the sun and clear blue sky, I cleaned out my garden, worked the soil, and then got down to some serious planting-tomatoes, bell peppers, blue lake beans, carrots, squash, and some other plants I cannot remember. In a few weeks, when they sprout, I’ll remember what I planted!
It’s the time of year when new life calls to us everywhere we look. It’s the same, of course, in the Church. We move out of the somber reflective purple of Lent through the blood red grief of the Passion into the glorious white of Easter. The red reminds us that Jesus loved us unto death. The white reminds us of that he has freed us from death with his resurrection.
This Holy Week and throughout the Easter season and beyond, I hope you will hold close that knowledge of how much you are loved. Grasp it as we move through all the oh-so-familiar rituals of this time. Wrap it around you and carry it with you as a reminder of how valuable you are, how important a piece of the Beloved Community you are, and how your unique gifts and presence enrich us all. It was for you and me that Jesus came among us, was crucified and buried, and rose again on the third day. Let us give unceasing thanks.
I wish all Easter blessings on you all.
Rayford B. High, Jr.