Easter Sunday
March 27, 2005


A counselor was having no success with a particular patient. In desperation, he places a request to Milton Erickson, a very famous and successful psychiatrist to give him help. To his surprise, Milton agrees, but only on two conditions – that before they started therapy, they both would visit her in the house that the client lived in, and then that he meet alone with her once the house tour is done. He agrees. They both go in. She gives a tour – pretty typical of a house of a woman who is depressed – dark, dingy, low light; greasy smudged window. The rooms are cluttered with piles and papers and disorder. That is, until they get to the back of the house – and the add-on porch room. Here bright sunlight streamed through clean, open windows. And here inside were hundreds of African Violets. Growing beautifully all around. “I guess your friends must really enjoy all the gifts of these African violets that you give them,” said Dr. Erickson. “Oh no”, said the woman. “I don’t give them to anyone.” And her voice trailed off defensively. “Oh, I thought you called yourself a Christian.” Silence met his comment. Dr. Erickson dismissed the counselor and spent about three minutes in the room with the woman and then left. When the counselor asked Dr. Erickson if he should be worried – Milton said no, she will be fine. And that was the end of the case. Until 10 years later.

The counselor receives an envelope from the Dr. Erickson containing an obituary notice. It read “African Violet Queen dies.” It went on to describe this woman who was famous for giving away all these African violets to all her friends, people in the neighborhood, and just about anyone she came in contact with. It described the full, rich life she had. “How did you do it,” he asked Dr. Erickson. “When I walked through her house, it became obvious to me how depressed the woman was and the amount of pain she was in. And when I got to the back room, I realized I had a choice. Do I help her manage her pain and work to shrink the depression, or do I help her grow violets. I chose to help her grow violets.” “I chose to help her grow violets.”

Will you choose to ‘grow violets’ this year? As we celebrate another Easter in the turning of our world and our lives, that is the fundamental choice before us – grow violets or manage the depression? Live the resurrection, or stay trapped in the old way of sin? You see, the world still is difficult. People still die. Sickness happens. Pain and sorrow are still around, even after the empty tomb. But we have a choice – you and I. We have a choice to grow the resurrection in each moment.

What the resurrection tells us is that there is another way of living beside that which seeks only itself. The resurrection puts a seal on the life of self-emptying love of Jesus. Notice the angel says: “Come and see the place where he was.” Not, where he is, but the way of life that is finite and ending and small – now empty as the other rooms in that woman’s house. Jesus lives in the place where love gives itself away. That’s why he tells the disciples to meet him in Galilee – to go and bear fruit – to give away that which they have known in Jesus. Get busy living, or get busy dying. There is no other choice. And gives us the power we need to choose that same kind of life for ourselves. The Exultet proclaims: The power of this holy night, dispels all evil, washed guilt away, restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy. It casts out hatred, brings us peace and humbles earthly pride.” There is power, not just to cope through this world, not just to survive through this world – but to LIVE in this world – hearts a-burning as surely as in the women who met Jesus on their way back from the empty tomb.

In a few minutes – you’ll have the choice – manage pain or grow violets? Stay in the same old same old, or let newness reign? So when it is time to renew our Baptismal promises, may it may us a people ready to grow the resurrection in each moment of our day.

The person who told me the story, who is also a counselor said this: “When I heard the story, I realized that I had the same choice in my work and ministry. I could give people ever more complicated ways to name their pain and deal with their losses – or I could help them live as resurrection people. I have chosen to grow violets.”
And so have I… So might we all today. So might we all.
Amen.
Alleluia…