Resurrection Playground

Christ is risen, and He rose in this world with a human body in order that all things might be made new. The center of this new creation is the forgiveness of sins, but that is merely the great and glorious foundation. Remember that Jesus Christ is the Creator of the Universe, and so it is no accident that Jesus is the One re-creating the universe in history. 

Jesus rose so that we might enjoy His world with Him forever. Jesus rose so that we might study the stars, so that we might see His glory in the heavens forever. Jesus rose so that we might watch the birds’ swooping formations and fluttering and listen to their singing and teach some of them talk to us. Christ rose so that we might dive into the sea and see His handiwork, tiny and enormous, beautiful and strange, darting and scuttling through waters, His vast colorful gardens of algae and coral reefs. Christ rose so that we might walk on the edge of continents and feel the sand between our toes. He rose so that we might hike mountains, smelling cool, dank forests, losing our breath, tasting sweat. He rose so that we might watch insects on a sidewalk, or buzzing in the flowers, squirrels chattering in trees, buffalo lumbering in a field. 

He rose so that we might live, so that we might taste and see that He is good. No, literally, that we might taste chocolate and know that our Redeemer lives: the smell of coffee roasting in the morning, steaks on a grill, beer on a summer afternoon, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and cold milk, and crème brûlée. But don’t forget music and singing, dancing and love making. Don’t forget holding hands, hugs, tickling, braiding hair, newborn babies and toddlers and teenagers and newlyweds and grandpas and grandmas, and rain and snow and wind and mudpies and sunshine falling through windows and lazy dogs sleeping in it. And what else?

Jesus rose so that this whole world might become the Garden of God again, the playground of God for His people. For as many as receive Him, He has given them the power to become children of God. Christ rose so that everything and anything in this world that Christ made, might be delighted in because He made it and He loves it. Christ rose so that we might play and discover and invent and enjoy His world with Him forever.

Christ is risen indeed.

Photo by Angelo Jesus on Unsplash