How to Honor the Mystery of Easter Year-Round
Kettering College is a faith-based institution. Does this mean you have to be a Christian to attend? Absolutely not. It does help, however, to understand how Christianity informs the way we view our students and our vision.
Easter is a perfect time to examine how our emphasis on spirituality helps us to guide students in a holistic manner by also considering their spiritual well-being. For Christians, Easter is precisely what defines their faith; for people of other faith communities, Easter can be a time of reflection in ways that feel right and comfortable to them.
Steve Carlson, Campus Ministries Director, is just the person to walk us through his insights into Easter and how it can relate to anyone of any belief to enrich their lives.
How can we relate the enormity of Easter to our own lives?
Steve explains, “There’s always more to the story God is writing. The disciples gave up hope while Jesus was dead. They went back to their daily lives and occupations. They didn’t know what was going to happen. They were depressed, and when Jesus did show up, they only then began to understand.”
He adds, “How easy would it be for us to walk along our daily lives and miss out on knowing what the story is that God has for us? It could be something we don’t even understand yet, something bigger and better than what we thought. Until we step into that—whatever that is—we won’t see it. There’s an element of trust and humility that comes with not knowing what’s going on but wanting to trust there is something more God is doing with our lives.”
“The more we look at the everyday moments, we’ll begin to see how practical our walk with God can become.”
-Steve Carlson, MA
Steve says, “The Christian faith means nothing without Easter, but the continued beauty of its relevancy can be seen all year. There’s a big story we can only grasp after we’ve been through it, when it comes into focus. We might not realize what God is doing in our lives in the moment, much like the disciples.”
If a person is seeking to find a spiritual path, where can they start?
Steve points out that if we’re open to it, God can be felt in any situation, not only the perfect, easy ones. He says, “The things you love come from God, and the things that challenge you are what fight against God’s ideal for your life. If God puts things that are good in our lives that elicit love, we feel God is leading us in a direction, but the same can be true for things that cause us harm.”
“Those feelings of discomfort might be just what God puts before us to feel called to use ourselves to help, lean into and do something. The more we look at the everyday moments, we’ll begin to see how practical our walk with God can become. God can be experienced in all moments and all people, even in those we disagree with. Love does not equate to agree.”
Can you recommend some daily actions to help make the power of Easter stay with us throughout the year?
“The Easter story is showing the depths of God’s love for us. Not because we deserve it, but because we’re his. To experience the Easter story year-round is to stay connected to God year- round. This looks like finding a faith community that can support you and building relationships that move you closer to God. Ultimately, it’s about seeing your whole life as a response to the gift of life God gave you.”
Steve says being curious and understanding are great ways to tackle each day, no matter your spiritual path. He offers an example from the international medical mission trips. He says, “When I go with students on these trips, there are always students who are there because their faith pushes them to go. For others who are not part of a faith community, I remind them it’s okay, and this means their experience on the trip will look different. It is a chance for them to educate themselves on what people with different beliefs than theirs are feeling and doing. The trip offers them a chance to look behind the curtain to more deeply understand others’ views and experiences with curiosity.”
No matter where you are with your faith, you are welcome here. During this Easter season, we pray that you carry patience, curiosity, and understanding as you uncover all the mysteries in your own life and your story unfolds.
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