Risen, Reborn, Renewed
At this of year, as at Christmas and Chanukah time, both the Jewish and Christian faiths have important holidays: Passover and Easter. Last week was an important week in both faiths.
I am told that one of the important themes of Passover is ‘freedom’, something which we all cherish, and is as important to our well being as love and hope. So many people of so many faiths have fought for freedom. It’s something we so easily take for granted and for many has been so hard won. Many of the freedoms we enjoy, whatever our faith, or none at all, have been fought for by others, so that we can lead a good life.
In the Christian faith, the essential message at Easter is ‘resurrection’, which is a concept that I love. In many ways, that celebration of resurrection seems like one of the most important days of the year. Good Friday is in effect a day of mourning, acknowledging the death of Christ on the cross two thousand years ago. It must have seemed then, to his followers, like a total loss of hope. The holy man that they had followed and believed in, who inspired them, was dead. It must have been a very dark day, and in traditional Christianity, Good Friday is meant to be observed as a quiet day. The notion of crucifixion, even symbolically, is a very dark thought. But the idea of resurrection is the ultimate gift of hope. The belief that Christ was risen, and had defied the grave. He emerged still scarred from the crucifixion, but his spirit and all that he represented was untouched.
Whatever one’s faith, or even without any faith, the idea of resurrection, or rebirth, of rising from all that crucifies us, dismays us, wounds and injures us, is essential to our well being. Where would we be, how would we continue and survive if we didn’t believe that we could recover from all the pains in our life—-even if we are scarred? I have always found the notion of crucifixion infinitely depressing, the darkness of it, the pain, just as we all have pains and disappointments in our lives and even great griefs. For me, the death of my son Nick. And yet no matter how hard life has been, or how sad we have been, there comes a time when we are renewed, when we rise again, when we are ‘reborn’, when we are resurrected from our private griefs. The knowledge that we can do that, that we can recover and be renewed keeps us going, and gives us the hope we need to get there.
I love the philosophical idea of Resurrection, whatever one’s faith (or lack of it). I love the idea that we can start again, try again, live again, even love again after terrible heartbreaks and disappointments. No matter how ‘crucified’ we have been by the sorrows in our life, a better day will come and we will be ‘resurrected’.
For me, resurrection is the essence of hope, and crucifixion the image of despair. I much prefer to look past Good Friday, to that day of hope. I cling to hope in dark times in my life, and the belief that we will find resurrection, better days, better times, a better life, better people who will not ‘crucify’ us as others have before.
My wish for you, and my prayers, is that you will find resurrection in your life, that you will keep your eye on hope, however crucified you feel or have been. Resurrection is possible for us all. Renewal and rebirth. I believe that to my very soul. And I hope that in dark times, you will remember that resurrection comes to us all, and with it hope. It is an idea worth clinging to, and remembering, every day of our lives.
May you feel renewed and reborn today, and if you have seen hard times in your life, may you rise from the ashes of the past. That is my hope for you and resurrection for us all.
Love, Danielle
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Hey Danielle
I hope you had a great Easter. I got some reading done this Easter and I read ‘His Bright Light’again. I love reading, but usually when i’m done with a book that’s it. There are only a handful of books I want to read over and over. Your book about your son is one of those books I can read over and over again.
You bring him to life with your words, it’s so touching, vivid and well written. He was really a remarkable boy and the book gets me every time. I seek comfort in it.
And you are so right, even though i’m sure you would have still wanted him to be here-he is free now and he will live forever in you heart. It’s amazing how you’ve gone through such rough times in your life as you did living with your son’s illness, but like with everything you somehow managed to rise above it. You’re a true inspiration to me.
Thankyou for your wonderful books and for sharing your son’s amazing life. It’s hard not to love him reading that book.
This is a great post. In some ways it reminds me of the phoenix rising from the ashes. Having no job, my unemployment dwindling, and someone who I thought care about me totally turn on me… I like to think that we do get resurrected and that it is possible to go on when we feel like someone has crucified us. I always like to read your blogs Danielle because they are so refreshing, hopeful, and funny!
Sou fã dos livros escritos por Danielle e concordo com o que ela disse ,perdi um filho e vejo que temos que aproveitar essa época e firmarmos em nossa renovação a cada dia para que possamos enfrentar melhor a vida
Hi Danielle!
Thank you so much for your inspiring words. In a time where I find myself unemployed and looking for work with no positive results it seems, your message really uplifted my spirits. I am living in South Africa and I have a college degree, but it is still difficult to find work. In the meantime bills are piling up. I pray regularly for a solution to my problem,so once again, thank you for hope for today.
Much love
Claudia Freeman, South Africa
Danielle,
I enjoy reading all the blogs you write.
You are such a caring, warm person who
seems to understand so many types of
people and all that they must endure.
Looking forward to your next book.
Love, Lorraine
Beautifully said and full of hope.
x0
Dear Ms Steel
Reading all your books gives me a sense of awareness on the simple things of life we take for granted. It must be terrible to realize that a simple name of somebody who can respond for us in any emergency can sometimes be a big interrogation. Must we give someone even one of our kids such burden?I understand you so much.I live in Panama Panamafor 34 years soon and my husband and I are not panamanians,it has only been him and I and our 2 daughters.He is a diabetic,and I freeze everytime I think something can happen to him and I must look for somebody in any unexpected event if anything also happens to me
I think it is not fair to our children and also have been thinking of somebody out of our family but it is hard.You are lucky having your assistant.God bless you and hope you continue fine,independent and writing your wonderful books.Regards from sunny Panama
HI DANIELLE AND EVERYONE ELSE,
Hope..NICE word..but what if your hope never comes true till your very last day? OR for a long time…How desperate that person will be… and how sad this whole thing of hoping really becomes..
Life consists of both good and bad, just like day and night…I am trying to make the best out of any bad and desperate situation, saying that this ‘bad’ is life itself. I try not to hope but rather accept and leave the rest…
Spirituality is not really about hoping but of letting go…gracefully.
Aji