story by Bill Curtis
There are few things more heartwarming than a kind greeting from an old friend. Sadly, true friends are hard to find these days. Our busy and mobile lifestyles often stand in the way of developing lasting friendships. As a result, we usually settle for becoming excellent acquaintances with the people around us. It’s not very satisfying, but it’s certainly more convenient.
Then, there are our true friends. You know the ones I’m talking about—the ones who know you best and love you anyway; the ones who always seem to remember the special moments and events in your life; the ones who would move heaven and earth to help you if you got in a bind. These are the friends of a lifetime. Usually, these are the friends we’ve known the longest—perhaps since childhood. We made these friends in the simple days of our lives, before kids and jobs and technology forced people to the margins of our busy lifestyles.
The interesting thing about these old friends is that time and circumstance cannot steal them away from us. They may live in different towns or states, and as a result, we may only be able to connect with them through social media. Yet the friendship remains just as strong, because we are bound together by something bigger than mere presence; we are bound together by a shared life. That’s why the moment we have a chance to be together, it’s as if we’ve never been apart. Our friendship simply resumes—without work, effort, or awkward moments. Those greetings are the most memorable and enjoyable. “Hello, friend,” we often hear as we gather one another into an embrace. Suddenly, the years fade away and life just feels right. It’s that perfect moment when the echoes of true life ring in the back of our minds—somehow we know that we were created to love like this. Such is the power of a simple greeting from an old friend.
Greetings like this have the power to move our hearts and fill our spirits with hope. I suppose that is why I love the traditional Christian greeting of Easter. It goes like this:
“Christ is risen!”
“He is risen indeed!”
This Easter greeting has been used in the Christian church for centuries. Its simple affirmation is rooted in the great truth, the gospel—the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The words themselves have their roots in scripture: “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon (Luke 24:34)!” Following Jesus’ death on the cross, his followers had scattered in sorrow and misery. But then came the first day of the week. Appearing first to Mary Magdalene and then to the disciples, Jesus revealed that God had raised him from the dead in order to reconcile us to God as our Savior. Suddenly, his followers were filled with joy and peace. Jesus had bridged the gap between God and man, and it would never exist again.
Can you imagine the greeting that the disciples and followers of Jesus received from him on that first Easter Sunday? They, too, would have experienced the echoes of true life ringing in their minds and hearts. I sense that same feeling when I greet my Christian friends in this way on Easter. It reminds me that I am loved, I am forgiven, and I have peace because of the death and resurrection of Jesus. I also have hope. I have the confident assurance that one day, because of Jesus, I will enjoy God’s companionship, and that of my friends, forever. And there, removed from the stress and chaos of this broken world, our “Hellos” will never have a “Good-bye!”
“Christ is risen!”
“He is risen indeed!”
Pastor Bill Curtis
www.exit137.org