The Resurrecton

Today two thirds of Christendom celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. The most important feast in the Christian calendar.

For the remaining third, it is still the Second Sunday of Lent and Easter or Pascha is still more than a month away. Pascha, for us will be celebrated on the 27th of April.

And much has been made on how early Easter falls this year, This is the earliest date  the Western Church has celebrated in Easter 95 years and none of us will live long enough to see it  celebrated this early  again.

A  perennial feature of Easter in New Zealand is the obsession over Easter Trading. There are those who resent that there are two days where commerce is supposed to cease.

In ancient Greek there are two words for time Chronos and Kairos.  We all live by Chronos, the ticking of the clock.

But Kairos is something else, it is the time for something to occur.  And the Christ's coming, Birth, Death and Resurrection  is a matter of Kairos.

So when nearly 2000 years ago the women went to the tomb only to find it was empty and Christ had risen it had happened in God's good time, kairos

And this is what Christians celebrate once a year, Christ's Resurrection by which we are  redeemed and this too is a matter of kairos, chronos is put aside.

So although I personally will not be celebrating Pascha for another five weeks the time is right, kairos, for me to greet my  Protestant  and Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ  with the ancient Paschal Greeting "Christ is Risen" and to hear the ancient  response "He is risen indeed".

It is a matter of kairos.

The Paschal Greeting

 

Comments

[servant]

He is risen indeed

[ropata]

Easter Song

Hear the bells ringing, They’re singing that we can be born again
Hear the bells ringing, They’re singing, “Christ is risen from the dead!”

The angel upon the tombstone said, “He has risen, just as he said.
“Quickly now, go tell his disciples that Jesus Christ is no longer dead!”

Joy to the world! He has risen, Hallelujah! He’s risen, hallelujah! He’s risen, hallelujah!