We have this piece resting on our mantle. I read somewhere that the original was created by a Hallmark writer, but it has been duplicated a number of times. We found this in the West Bottoms in some shop during First Fridays here in Kansas City.
Since I see it most days, I read through the list often. I like to focus on the ending…”We have fun. We must play. We love. We are family.”
Today, I am thinking what makes the ending work is the way the list starts…”We are real. We make mistakes. We say I’m sorry. We give second chances.”
I’m really struck by giving second chances. To give a second a chance means a first chance was given and something didn’t work out right. To give a second chance means we care enough about eth relationship that we want to keep working at it. To give a second chance is hopefully what we do because we have received a second chance ourselves.
This Holy Saturday, I rest in the knowledge, if this was the end of Jesus’ story, dead and buried in a tomb, none of us would be getting second chances.
We are almost to Easter, but what if Easter never was?
I’ve been wrestling with this thought all day. What if hope stayed dead? What if sin and darkness won? I’ve tried to sit in this possibility. I don’t like it.
Tomorrow I will celebrate Easter and I will do so knowing all Jesus could give, he gave. I have a second and a third and one hundredth chance because he gave himself for me and you and all of us. I pray I too will give all I can give in response.
Life is better together.
Shawn
Big Rubber Band Ball 