Left and Leaving by The Weakerthans is an old favourite of mine. The line "I"m back with scars to show, back with the streets I know will never take me anywhere but here" always, always makes me think of #Jesus after his #resurrection . Of course his resurrected body would be scarred after everything he'd been through -so much that they help to identify him and silence questions as to whether it's some sort of ghost that keeps appearing to the disciples. And now they find themselves in time of transition with their risen Lord. Each of them qualify as both left and leaving, as they part ways. Jesus will leave them to ascend to heaven, but also is left behind by them as they follow out his instructions to spread the Gospel. The departure is so essentially bitter sweet. In addition to their obvious excitement (especially Peter's) at seeing Jesus waiting for them on the beach, I imagine that this moment on the beach is something they each are able to truly cherish; eating together for the last time, communing in that sacred, Kingdom way. This song undergirds. so well, the bittersweetness of savouring someone's presence, perhaps for the last time. -Deb Whalen-Blaize ... See MoreSee Less

Maya Angelou's poem "Still I Rise" is so powerful and resonant, it's no wonder Ben Harper wanted to adapt it to #music. The imagery of #rising makes it an obvious choice for #EasterMorning, but these lyrics are also so resonant with the #mission of Jesus to uplift the burdened and oppressed. What does it mean to #overcome? To push back against oppression and defy the voices, the people, the governments and the hegemonic systems that tell us we are powerless? What does it even mean to have power in a system where it is given only to a select few? It can be very hard to prove our power when we are underestimated, especially when we underestimate ourselves, but in Christ we have a beautiful demonstration of what it means to overcome. And while we may never rise miraculously the way Jesus did from the dead, it is no small thing to get back up when we are beaten down in our daily lives. Rising, even in small ways, speaks to our belief in the #KingdomofGod, where we are each #beloved, where our #humanity is #cherished, and where we know the oppressive and violent powers of this world do not have the last word. Inspired by Christ's miraculous overcoming of everything, even death, may we never give up rising against the things in this world that oppress all who are burdened and cast aside. ... See MoreSee Less