2024/04/21 SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
Fourth Sunday of Easter
- Erika Wenson, Communications Associate
As we approach the Fourth week of Easter, Jesus reminds us in the Gospel of John that He is the Good Shepherd. I don’t know about you, but by this week of the Easter Season, the initial excitement and joy of Christ raising from the dead can be difficult to remember and continue to celebrate. Perhaps the strains of every day life have gotten in the way of remembering, or maybe dealing with hardships within your family or broken relationships have made it difficult to hang onto that Easter joy. Whatever trials we inevitably face, like Thomas, our doubt can begin creeping back in, regardless of us knowing the facts.
The reality is that the world is a broken place. Read any top news article on a given day, and it can reinforce that narrative accurately. Wars raging, the economy crashing, unemployment rates rising- it can feel like there is no hope. It can be easy to focus on the negative and forget the simple truth that Jesus is always working for the good of those who love him. I must admit, I can recall a few times myself that I’ve strayed away from the message of the Resurrection since that joyful Saturday night Vigil a few weeks ago. It’s hard to stay the course when the culture of this world tries to keep us in a state of perpetual dread.
Something that has helped me return to my faith during those times of doubt and periods of life where I am like that lost sheep has been watching The Chosen. During Lent this year, I felt the Holy Spirit gently guiding me to give the TV series about Jesus’ life on Earth a try. I had previously heard great reviews on the show from friends but was hesitant to watch for many months. Something in me was not ready to watch a show that gave not only Jesus such relatable human qualities but his disciples as well. Boy was I pleasantly surprised! In fact, I blew through the whole three seasons available on Amazon within the week leading up to Easter.
What made it so easy to watch was that I found myself relating to almost every disciple in each episode as I watched them struggle to be Christians, despite having Jesus himself alive amongst them. It was as if each episode was restoring hope within me once again that Jesus is so near to us. If the disciples struggled with the good news, it’s only natural for me to struggle as well from time to time.
Now, the question remains: how do we maintain our Easter joy and not stray from the flock when the weight of the world starts to feel heavy again? May I suggest quieting yourself and asking the Holy Spirit for guidance? When I did that during Lent, I felt the Spirit gently nudging me to return to journaling- a practice I had abandoned long ago, but loved when I was intentionally writing daily. Returning to journaling has been a great tool for me to practice gratitude and has helped shift my mindset towards heavenly blessings regardless of my mood or current life situation. Whatever practice you find works for you, whether it be journaling, listening to a Christian podcast, reading the Bible daily, or watching The Chosen, know that our Good Shepherd is always near to us, ready to bring us back into the fold- and that is the Easter joy I will be clinging to for many weeks beyond this Easter Season.