The Day After

Do you remember how you felt the day you graduated high school, won a prestigious award, or got married? I’ll bet you do! If you tried, you could probably recount the emotions of joy as you said “I do” or the pride of accomplishment as you accepted that trophy.

But how did you feel the day after? Do you remember what you ate for breakfast the day after you graduated from college? Probably not.

We just celebrated Easter which is the culmination of the liturgical year—and what a great day it was! We came together as a church to celebrate that Jesus is risen (indeed). We cheered on one of our students getting baptized. Dozens of people came to BridgeWay for the first time. Worship was amazing. Everyone dressed up for pictures. There was COFFEE at church! The preaching was superb.

But now it’s Tuesday.

I checked the liturgical calendar, and do you know what the Tuesday after Easter is called? Easter Tuesday. They couldn’t even think of a special name for it—it’s just the Tuesday after Easter.

Sometimes, I find myself in the post-Easter doldrums. I feel that I have to work a little harder to find my spiritual enthusiasm. Part of me wants to take the foot off the gas (just a little) after all the effort invested into Resurrection Sunday. Maybe that’s how Peter, James, and John as they came down from the Mount of Transfiguration. Remember what they said to Jesus? “Master, it is good for us to be here.” Understandably, they wanted to linger in the spiritual moment.

There is a natural impulse to want to stay on the mountaintop and to make every day Easter, but that is not the life of a disciple. After the Transfiguration, Jesus led these same men back down the mountain to get back to ministering to the poor and sick. It’s a good reminder for me, and for anyone else who has a desire to stay on the mountain top. Mountains are memorable, but ministry happens in the valleys.

We need to remember that Jesus is alive and that he’s given us a job to do.