Strong spirits: glints of new life

I love spring!

I love the transition, as winter tries to hold on and cannot, and as spring, little by little moves on towards summer. I love the longer days, the flowers pushing out of the ground, the trees budding, the birds singing. I love that I don't have to bundle up so much, or on some days, not at all! What's not to love?

And yet, there is something I love more than spring, something that spring brings us every year. That something is the reminder and the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus. All the glints of new life that spring brings cannot hold a candle to the new life that Jesus won for me, won for us, on that cross. And that new life can be ours every season of the year, every single day.

Jesus came to set us free from the power of death, the power of the devil, sin, death, and decay. I challenge us, as we eagerly embrace all of the newness of spring, to meditate on and embrace the new life that Jesus offers each one of us. Even spring pales compared to that. Spring is just a taste. Jesus is the full meal, the real deal.

Enjoy spring! And savor the new life Jesus offers us every single day.

Besides serving as pastor at Caledonia Congregational Church, Gary Schwerin is the Spiritual Development Minister for the YMCA of the Rock River Valley and Executive Director of Bridge Ministries of Rockford. Prior to launching Bridge Ministries, Gary spent many years in leadership with Young Life. His columns appear here every Sunday - to see them all, subscribe to our daily email.

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