The Way Toward Easter In this time of conflict and violence, When so many are armed and angry, We walk with the peacemakers, on the difficult road toward peace. In this time of mourning for creation, With so many suffering because of climate change, We walk with the stewards of the Earth Who call us to care for this gift and for all living things. In this time of great migration, With so many afraid, lost, and displaced, We walk with those who minister to refugees And who offer welcome in a new land. In this time of fear of difference, With so many faced with hostility, We walk with those who join hands And find new ways of building community. In this time of growing poverty and homelessness, When so many parents cannot provide food or safety, We walk with those who recognize their needs And advocate for those at the margins. We walk with all those who suffer, And all those who work to end suffering. We walk in faith, holding on to hope, We walk toward an Easter dawn. We move toward the seemingly impossible Resurrection, a time of justice and peace. We walk, called forward through the darkness by the Risen Christ, who we glimpse In the peacemakers, the stewards of creation, To those who live out solidarity, Those who minister to the migrant, the poor, the lost, the suffering: They show us the way toward Easter. — Jane Deren, Ph.D.