The resurrection icon in the choir at Trinity Episcopal Church in Apalachicola, FL, celebrates Jesus’ triumphal emergence from the darkness of the tomb of death, one foot planted firmly on the open gates of hell. It is an Easter icon proclaiming through art “the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

In Jesus’ life on earth, over and over he called people out of one darkness or another. There was Bartimaeus (Mk.10:46) who, along with the man from Bethsaida (Mk. 8:24), were called out of the darkness of physical blindness. There were those who suffered from the darkness of inner demons such as the Gerasene demoniac (Lk. 8:26-39), Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:2), and the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman (Mk.7:25-30) that Jesus called into “his marvelous light.” There were those he called from the darkness of death: Jairus’ daughter (Mk. 5:22-24, 35-43, Lk.8:41-42, 49-55), the son of the widow of Nain (Lk.7:11-16), and his friend Lazarus (Jn.11:17-44). Jesus’ entire earthly ministry was to those who were foundering in spiritual darkness; some of whom answered the call to light and life with Christ Jesus, others; we know, did not. The same is true for us today.

We all suffer from the darknesses of life from time to time: the darkness of loss and grief, the darkness of futility and pain, the darkness of failure and rejection, the darkness of depression and emotional despair, the darkness of guilt and shame, the darkness of fear and doubt, the darkness of illness and death, for example. Regardless of whatever darkness holds us in thrall, the good news of Easter is that resurrection comes bringing the marvelous light of Jesus into every dark corner of our lives. Christ Jesus comes into our darkness and shows us the way into the new life that awaits us. That is the truth of Easter; the darkness of sin and death is swallowed up in victory. Thanks be to God! Alleluia! Alleluia!