Every spring we look around and see the signs of a fresh start. The silence and isolation of long, cold winter nights give way to the collective sounds and sights of new life emerging all around us. Trees and flowers that once looked worn and barren begin to burst forth with renewed vibrancy and color. Animals and insects of every kind formerly in hibernation and nesting now instinctively pivot towards courtship and giving birth.

In taking this all in, year after year, perhaps we bear a hint of envy. If only we could possess such a gift—the gift of starting over. What we wouldn’t give for the chance of a new beginning in a particular relationship, in our chosen career, or the broader road upon which we find ourselves traveling day after day. And yet, the invitation of springtime often feels like nothing more than running down a dream—whimsically indulging in a fantasy in which we will only end up disappointed. For deep down, we’ve bought and sold the argument that there is no going back. What’s done is done. We can’t erase and rewrite our past. All there is the here and now.

All we can do is keep moving ahead. We barely have enough time to accomplish what is before us, let alone make room for anything new. And so we exist in a perpetual cycle of rinse and repeat—of work and play and barely any rest. Rushing forward from one appointment to the next but still always feeling behind. Believing we never have enough time to stop and smell the roses, we deny ourselves the reward and enjoyment of the fruit of all our labor. Again and again, putting our best foot forward but never really getting anywhere on life’s daily treadmill; only managing to get off when our we eventually, inevitably expire.

However, the arrival of Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, reminds us this is not how life has to be. The fresh start we observe all around us every springtime was never intended by our Creator to be reserved for nature alone. The rhythms of the seasons, baked into creation, happening all around us, are God-given reminders of a healthier and more fruitful state of being that we can experience. Together they point to a grander, deeper truth and summons—the gift and opportunity of resurrection.

Through the witness of an empty tomb and Christ’s body risen from the dead, we are beckoned to have the narrative of our lives changed rather than recycled. The invitation before us is so much more than the affirmation of an existence beyond this life. Following Jesus, we can rise beyond the ashes of our mistakes and our misdeeds. As what once appeared to be an ending miraculously becomes the initiation of a new chapter, we are assured that failure in our life is never final.

Because death has been denied the last word, starting over is no longer something to be wished for but a promise to be realized. We may not be able to let go of our past but our past no longer need define us. Despite every loss and every regret, we can start over. We can begin again. More than this, we do not have to remain stagnant. Our future does not have to look like our present. The mercies of God are new every morning. We can grow. We can mature. Old mindsets and habits can be altered. Broken relationships and communities can be healed.

Resurrection is God’s great pledge that, when all is said and done, beauty will not be sullied. Truth will not be denied. Love will not be overcome. Goodness will not be forsaken; it will endure. What we celebrate is not coming back to life but our entire lives being changed—for the better. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” This is the most powerful manifestation of the truth of Easter—witnessing the positive transformation of hearts and minds, neighborhoods and nations, and all of creation.

Every spring we look around and see the signs of a fresh start. The silence and isolation of long, cold winter nights give way to the collective sounds and sights of new life emerging all around us. Trees and flowers that once looked worn and barren begin to burst forth with renewed vibrancy and color. Animals and insects of every kind formerly in hibernation and nesting now instinctively pivot towards courtship and giving birth.

In taking this all in, year after year, perhaps we bear a hint of envy. If only we could possess such a gift—the gift of starting over. What we wouldn’t give for the chance of a new beginning in a particular relationship, in our chosen career, or the broader road upon which we find ourselves traveling day after day. And yet, the invitation of springtime often feels like nothing more than running down a dream—whimsically indulging in a fantasy in which we will only end up disappointed. For deep down, we’ve bought and sold the argument that there is no going back. What’s done is done. We can’t erase and rewrite our past. All there is the here and now.

All we can do is keep moving ahead. We barely have enough time to accomplish what is before us, let alone make room for anything new. And so we exist in a perpetual cycle of rinse and repeat—of work and play and barely any rest. Rushing forward from one appointment to the next but still always feeling behind. Believing we never have enough time to stop and smell the roses, we deny ourselves the reward and enjoyment of the fruit of all our labor. Again and again, putting our best foot forward but never really getting anywhere on life’s daily treadmill; only managing to get off when our we eventually, inevitably expire.

However, the arrival of Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, reminds us this is not how life has to be. The fresh start we observe all around us every springtime was never intended by our Creator to be reserved for nature alone. The rhythms of the seasons, baked into creation, happening all around us, are God-given reminders of a healthier and more fruitful state of being that we can experience. Together they point to a grander, deeper truth and summons—the gift and opportunity of resurrection.

Through the witness of an empty tomb and Christ’s body risen from the dead, we are beckoned to have the narrative of our lives changed rather than recycled. The invitation before us is so much more than the affirmation of an existence beyond this life. Following Jesus, we can rise beyond the ashes of our mistakes and our misdeeds. As what once appeared to be an ending miraculously becomes the initiation of a new chapter, we are assured that failure in our life is never final.

Because death has been denied the last word, starting over is no longer something to be wished for but a promise to be realized. We may not be able to let go of our past but our past no longer need define us. Despite every loss and every regret, we can start over. We can begin again. More than this, we do not have to remain stagnant. Our future does not have to look like our present. The mercies of God are new every morning. We can grow. We can mature. Old mindsets and habits can be altered. Broken relationships and communities can be healed.

Resurrection is God’s great pledge that, when all is said and done, beauty will not be sullied. Truth will not be denied. Love will not be overcome. Goodness will not be forsaken; it will endure. What we celebrate is not coming back to life but our entire lives being changed—for the better. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” This is the most powerful manifestation of the truth of Easter—witnessing the positive transformation of hearts and minds, neighborhoods and nations, and all of creation.