Another short week here at Redeemer! Many are gone home to celebrate the Easter weekend with their families and friends, and many will be attending services at church in memory of Christ’s sacrifice for us. And of course, many will be returning on Monday for the last two weeks of classes and final two weeks of exams. This week was filled with thoughts, feelings, and chats about the Easter story and about the implications that it has for our lives. In my dorm devotions this week, we read through the last part of the Gospel of John, from Jesus’ prayers for himself, his disciples and all believers up until his death and resurrection. While reading the Bible sometimes feels repetitive, redundant and all those things, this re-reading of the Easter story really impacted my dorm. Even though we have heard the story so many times, it seems as though each time you read it, you learn something new or you make connections that you have never made before. It made me really appreciate not only the story itself and the tremendous sacrifice Christ made on that cross, but also the opportunity to read it with the girls in my dorm. Having friends, dorm-mates and loved ones is especially necessary at times like this. Even though things are busy and people are frustrated with school work and the coming end of the semester, to be able to sit down with those around you and talk about the love of God is absolutely incredible. I feel so blessed to be in a place where I can talk about these sorts of things with people that I know are wrestling with them as well. This opportunity for a break in the midst of a chaotic couple of weeks is also a true blessing.
I also had a few good chats with some friends this week. I am so thankful for the friends that I have made at Redeemer. While personalities may not always “click” right away, you can be sure that the one thing holding people together is their faith in Christ. You know that there is always that underlying similarity between people. Friendships are based on laughter, similarities and differences, those you come into contact with frequently and so on. But they are also mechanisms by which to get to know others, to come to appreciate the gifts that God has given other people and to allow for deep (and necessary) conversations to take place.
Through the Easter chapel held this week, our dorm devotions, random chats with friends, and the Easter decorations strung throughout campus, I feel as though this is the first year in which I have actually begun to understand the importance and significance of the death and resurrection of Christ. And I have never been more thankful! May each of you feel blessed and encouraged this Easter, and take time to reflect on the amazing gift we have been given.
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