A Reflection on Easter

 I woke up this morning dreading the day. It's a holiday, so I should be excited, right? Except I'm not, and here's why: I've been struggling with my faith all my life, and with all that's going on in the world, it feels hard to celebrate a God that refuses to intervene in Palestine, in Ukraine, in the world. Why was I so angry? Why, on a day that was meant to celebrate the renewal of life, did I feel like death?

I think it's hard to see God in a world that is constantly at war. As we watch the atrocities occur in Palestine, in Ukraine, in Sudan, in Congo, it's easy to feel hopeless. But here's the thing: that is what the enemy wants. I'm not saying you have to believe in God; hell, I'm not even sure I always do. What I am saying is that it's important to have hope and faith in something (whether or not it's God is up to you). I also want to reiterate that while this post is particularly about the Christian faith, I think struggling with believing in God or Gods is a universal religious experience. 

Here's what I've realized: having faith isn't an easy thing. It's not easy to believe in something you can't see, especially when you become an adult. But here is my truth: I choose to have faith because without faith, I don't think I could survive. This is a cold, dark world. Without faith in something, we lose the will to live, to fight. I see so much negativity on the internet and reflected back in the world, so it is so important to me to have faith.

At the end of the day, I can't force you to believe in anything (and I'm not trying to). Desmond Tutu, a South African bishop, said, "Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness." I believe hope and faith are intrinsically connected. Without one, you can't have the other. So this Easter, I won't just be stuffing my face with candy and enjoying the sight of bunnies. Instead, I'll be reflecting on what it means to have faith in a world where it is often so difficult to have faith.