FACING DEATH ON EASTER
God, Source of Life, you show us compassion in the face of hatred and ask us to be compassionate toward one another. Today, we turn to you for healing and clarity following the tragedy in Sri Lanka. Comfort the souls of the victims, and provide support to the victims’ loved ones in this time of mourning. Show each one of us your unconditional love, so that we all may learn how to love each other. Teach us to rely on empathy over prejudice and conversation over bloodshed. We pray that you will heal this world and help us to bring kindness to one another.
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Amen. (by Isabella Schlact '19)
For many Christians around the world, Sunday was full of joy and celebration. Easter morning had finally broken, Mary Magdalene and her friends found the stone had been rolled away, and angels greeted them with those monumental words, “(Jesus) is not here, but has risen.” With this good news, people of the tradition believe that death is not the last word; that life beyond with God is eternal. In my own faith community, the greeting “Happy Easter” seemed to be on auto-repeat Sunday, echoing throughout the building. Our Cathedral was packed, with overflow seating and a live broadcast set up in the parish hall. An uplifting day, for sure.
For many Christians around the world, Sunday was full of joy and celebration. Easter morning had finally broken, Mary Magdalene and her friends found the stone had been rolled away, and angels greeted them with those monumental words, “(Jesus) is not here, but has risen.” With this good news, people of the tradition believe that death is not the last word; that life beyond with God is eternal. In my own faith community, the greeting “Happy Easter” seemed to be on auto-repeat Sunday, echoing throughout the building. Our Cathedral was packed, with overflow seating and a live broadcast set up in the parish hall. An uplifting day, for sure.
The rhythms of the church calendar give the faithful the opportunity to live into each season with intention, knowing that life brings periods of wilderness, abundance, provision, suffering, and even death. And even still, life beyond. This gift of structured time helps to prepare us for the realities of human existence.
Needless to say, these church rhythms don’t always line up with current lived experiences – some are born on Good Friday, while others die on Easter Sunday. This was the case for many Christians in Sri Lanka on Sunday, as several terrorists attacked the faithful who gathered to celebrate on the holiest day of their tradition. Sadly, orchestrated tragedies of this sort have become all too commonplace, with mosques in Christchurch and synagogues in Pittsburgh suffering a similar fate. On this Day of Resurrection, death was abundant, leaving many with anger, sadness, grief, and confusion.
How are we to hold on to hope, leave room for joy, and have the courage to celebrate in the face of such division and hate? There is no easy answer to these questions. The only knowhow I can muster is to continue looking for the face of God, which I believe can always be found.
One such face appeared in my email inbox Monday evening.
One of our Seniors, Isabella Schlact, reached out to see if we could read a prayer for the people of Sri Lanka during convocation. We have, of course, offered prayers of special intention during these gatherings before – especially in the wake of tragic circumstances. Instead of just accepting her invitation, I responded and wondered if she would feel comfortable writing and sharing the prayer herself. She graciously accepted, and we met up on Wednesday to brainstorm ideas.
When asked about her faith tradition, Isabella responded to let me know that she is Jewish. Then I began to realize the significance of this encounter.
It is remarkable enough that a student is willing to get in front of hundreds of peers to lead us in prayer. But it is truly inspirational to witness one of our Jewish students compelled to reach out and pray for grief-stricken Christians on the other side of the world. To me, this is the good news of Easter; a glimpse of life after death. This also exemplifies the diversity and inclusion that help to make our community so wonderful.
As an Episcopal School, Berkeley is proud to be led by Isabella in prayer on Friday, and grateful for her life-giving model of unity in the face of division.
Berkeley Preparatory School
Founded in 1960, Berkeley is an independent, Episcopal, college-preparatory day school located in Tampa, FL, for boys and girls in grades Pre-Kindergarten through 12. Approximately 1,400 students gather here from the greater Tampa Bay area to form ONE Berkeley.