Today I remember and give thanks for my maternal grandparents, Pearl and Len Crawford, who taught me the gift of a hot cup of tea, a warm biscuit (translation—cookie!), and the importance of Scripture and Prayer at home.
Traditionally, in a liturgical sense at least, Christians focus their attention on ancestors in November on the Feast of All Saints’. It’s a time to remember and give thanks that we are all saints, not just those ones who are officially recognized (such as St. Claire and St. Francis).
However, this Easter Monday, I feel a call to recollect and bring into the present time my ancestors who I see no longer, but—through faith—believe are always present with me through the resurrection of the dead.
This trust, this promise, this hope, was for Christ—as it can be for us—a driving force toward death and beyond. A longing, a beckoning forth. It is, in Hawaiian, Imua—“forward,” not necessary in a linear, time-bound way—but in a manner which finds ourselves accompanied by family and friends beyond the confines of the present now.
Pearl and Len will be recalled today as I heat the pre-heat the teacup, I pour the water from the electric kettle (translation—jug!), gently bring the warmth to my mouth, and savor the complex flavors of the tea (today it’s “Darjeeling Sungma Summer” with its rich golden color and distinctive, yet subtle hints of grape and grassiness).
And these beloved ancestors will be with me throughout the 50 Days of Easter (yes, 50 days!) as we hear from the Acts of the Apostles, read from the Revelation to John the Divine, and as we continue to give thanks for the liberating acts of our Creator God in Jesus Christ our Lord.
A happy and life-giving Easter to you all!
Chris+
Vegan Priest, Christopher Golding 