Since Easter is a time to reflect on the life, sacrifice, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—and what that means in our own lives, I’ve been thinking. Specifically about a quote that I found that I fell in love with.
My sisters, mother and I were shopping in a bookstore a while back. We came across a book with the most beautiful quote. It has been running through my mind ever since.
Especially because of Easter.
To a lady who, looking at an engraving of a house, called it an ugly thing, he said, “No, Madam, there is nothing ugly; I never saw an ugly thing in my life: for let the form of an object be what it may – light, shade and perspective will always make it beautiful.“
–John Constable
I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Because sometimes things do look ugly to us. Whether it’s health problems, a lost job, a broken relationship, addictions, even death. From our perspective it may look ugly and gnarled, hopeless and helpless. We all carry around those secret sorrows that often feel much too heavy to bear.
Why Easter Means Beauty from Ashes
But today we celebrate beauty for those ashes.
All of them. Even the darkest and most miserable and seemingly ugly of them all.
We celebrate that Jesus came into this world as a little babe, and grew up to teach us. And then died and yes, rose again. To make all things new.
He took all that was ugly, wretched, dark and hopeless. And with his divine love, he made it new.
Yes, love is more powerful than death.
And it’s more powerful than all those things we may deem ugly.
It is worth running our hearts out to find and to grapple with, just as as Peter and John are depicted doing here. Running to an empty tomb.
How Christ Makes All Things New
Because Jesus made that ultimate sacrifice. He suffered and died, and came back again with all things beautiful in his wings.
The Good News of dark transformed to light. Goodness triumphing over evil.
So I hope this Easter Sunday, in whatever shadows of darkness or ugly we may find ourselves, that we can remember that Christ’s ultimate sacrifice, his payment for the ugly, puts everything in a new light.
Yes, His “light, shade and perspective will always make it beautiful.”
Forever and ever.
Finding Light in Our Hardest Moments
But here’s the catch: we’ll only recognize that if we are looking. It can be easy to miss, especially in the heavy darks and uglies.
May we all find a little more light in our own personal struggles today as we celebrate the One who we celebrate.
One way I am looking for answers for my own shades of darkness is listening to general conference. The words of our church leaders always find a way to heal my own personal hurt and woes. Everyone is invited to watch General Conference, so join us if you’d like to let those healing words wash over you, too.
Also, I’ve gathered all my favorite ideas to put Christ in the center of Easter. The One who makes all things beautiful.
Happy Easter!