May Christ Easter in You
On Easter this year, I rose early to see the sunrise - or rather the dark grey sky transform to a light grey sky over Lake Erie. I then had the immense blessing of attending Easter morning worship with the women of Northeast Reintegration Center (NERC) in Cleveland where I see new life rising out of the ashes all the time! At the end of the service, one of the prayers that was offered was, "May Christ Easter in you." Wow! Let those amazing words sink in.
May Christ Easter in you. In other words, may you always recognize God's image that dwells in you. May you always know deep within that life is ultimately more powerful than death. May the hope of the resurrection be born in you every day. May Christ Easter in you.
Participating in prison ministry and being allowed to walk the sacred ground of NERC is an immense privilege. What I am becoming increasingly aware of, however, is that as meaningful as it is to walk with folks while they are incarcerated, it is just as important (and maybe even more so!) to walk with our neighbors after they are released from prison and are returning home.
The month of April is "National 2nd Chance Month" to raise awareness about how to create better opportunities for people returning home after incarceration. And, in so doing, it is about making our communities more just and safe for all.
If you want to learn more about how to get involved you can...
Learn about Ohio's All In Community that is all about restoring hope and supporting healing with our justice-involved neighbors and families and the many 2nd Chance Month activities they have scheduled.
Encourage your faith community to observe 2nd Chance Sunday.
Participate in an event through the Ohio Department of Rehabiltation and Corrections Office of Reentry.
I encourage you to learn about how you might get more involved with welcoming our neighbors home to the gift of new beginnings and resurrection living. May Christ Easter in you today and every day.
