In this reflection, I find myself focusing a lot on the line in the Psalm that reads “of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full.” In this second week of Easter we are solidly living into the season. This is particularly striking as our Orthodox brothers and sisters have now joined us in Easter celebrations on April 12, but also as stores move to discounting Easter goods with an Easter-is-over attitude (much like Christmas goods go on sale on December 26th). It turns out that sitting with everyday life throughout the Easter season has some real nitty-gritty issues to address. Our readings show the early Christian community sorting out who can address complaints and how to delegate responsibilities, verbalizes why our thankfulness still needs ongoing mercy in our Psalm, and reflects ways the disciples – like us – can still get surprised by Jesus even in the midst of seeing His miracles in their everyday lives. During Easter this Gospel reading sticks out in the ways we still get surprised by Jesus even after the Resurrection. It leads me to think about how we are living everyday Easter while still in the Easter season; how we have moved from the Lenten desert to ministries, how to move from the mountaintop of Easter to the lived commission in daily life, and how to move through the storms of life with Easter joy, and with certitude in the deeper hopes of Easter. In this time and watching world news it can be hard to remember that the earth is full of the kindness of the Lord. This is not unique to our time, of course. I am reminded through faithful homilies that weekly challenge us to return the following week able to offer our everyday lived faith in community from the past week back to God the following week. It is lived faith in community and everyday life that makes us able to see both the outrages of the world, and the kindness of the Lord through which hope comes. In the end the kindness is there – it is up to us to cling to Christ and live Easter hope everyday. As we end thinking about the ways the earth is full of the kindness of the Lord – even now – I share a helpful prayer from the Society for the Propagation of the Faith: Help us to embrace the world You have given us, that we may transform the darkness of its pain into the life and joy of Easter.”
Laura Roost
Dr. Roost does research on care ethics in transitional justice, ethnicized/racialized violence, human rights, international law, African philosophy, and civic engagement/service learning in the classroom. Roost is a Resident Assistant Professor and Internship Director in the Department of Political Science and International Relations, and currently serves as the Faculty Associate for Academic Service Learning in the Center for Faculty Excellence. At the American Political Science Association (APSA), Roost has served on the executive council of the Political Science Education section, and on the board for the APSA Human Rights section. Roost earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln with graduate specializations in Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs (Ph.D.), and Women’s & Gender Studies (M.A).