Last year I saw it…this year I heard it. Change. It’s in the air and its in the ear.

I didn’t have to hear it, because it was pretty obvious that changes were happening. The mercury on the thermometer was nearing 70 degrees, and the snow was rapidly melting. From all indications, spring was on its way. And if that wasn’t enough to convince me, as I walked up to the lobby doors of our building, I could even see that the tulips were starting to pop up from beneath the soil. (Poor guys. Apparently they hadn’t seen the weather forecast for later on in the week.)

Everything around me said that spring was on its way. Too bad, though, that I have a tendency to be a skeptic when it comes to springtime around these parts of our country. I’ve lived in Wisconsin long enough to know that winter can continue to rear its ugly head as late as May. But from what I could see, everything looked good. But I wasn’t a believer until I rolled down the windows of my van.

I thought that I was just getting some fresh air. I don’t know the last time I rolled down my windows as I was driving just to get fresh air. But never-the-less, that’s when I knew spring was on its way…because I heard it coming in the distance.

At first, it was only a faint rumble. For all I knew it could have been something with my car engine. But as it grew louder and louder, I could feel my heart begin to take in what was going on. The sound in my ears set into motion a reaction that tore through my body. There was no doubt about it. What I was hearing was one of the greatest sounds of springtime. It was the sound of a Harley Davidson roaring down the road – proof that spring was on its way.

It’s funny how sounds can have an effect on us like that. I realize that not everyone gets the same joy out of the rolling thunder of a Harley Davidson as I do, but there are so many sounds in this world that signal change. The sound of a crying baby can do that. The cry of a newborn infant often signals more change in the life of its family than they might ever imagine – especially when that newborn is the King of Glory entering into our world. The sound of mourning can do the same – especially when they are the tears of that same infant as a grown man. The weeping of a grown man can signal an enormous change – especially when that man is weeping over the death of His own friend.

Then there’s the sound of pain… torment… and suffering. Who would even choose to be around something like this; because these sounds are not the sounds of what we would consider to be good change. Torment, pain, and suffering…all they do is signal a change which we all seek to avoid.

And yet, in the last three months we have been invited to once again listen to the sounds of change. Not long ago we recalled the very day that the voice of God echoed in Bethlehem in such a tiny voice. We even heard the angels sing their praises as the Lord of all creation came to live and dwell among us.

We have also heard the weeping of Christ as a man. We have heard the words of temptation in the desert be shattered by the living and spoken Word of God. We have heard the teachings of God’s own Son. All of these sounds signaled a change…while all of them pointed to a place where none would choose.

In past weeks we heard the sounds of inevitable change. They were the sounds of an innocient man on trial…an innocent man being convicted. We heard the words of the crowd as they cried out, “Crucify Him!” We have heard the sound of the feet of our Lord’s disciples scurrying, hiding, and running away. And worst of all, we have heard the sound of the hammer – the nails being driven through the hands and feet of Jesus.

The sound of sin is what we were used to. It was how we lived. But the sound of the hammer and the eternally echoing words, “It is finished!” have signaled a change like no other; and now the sound of an earthquake and the opening of a tomb drown out all the others.

Now we see that change is not on the way, it is here! The shouts of Alleluia are ongoing. The words of forgiveness are lived. And the sounds of new life are constantly ringing. Change is here, new life is a reality, and heaven and earth rejoices. CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA!

Ahhhh… the sounds of victory… the sounds of eternal change.

A Blessed Easter to All of You,