This is my article from Give Us This Day for Tuesday April 10, based on the scriptures for today.

Creative Hope

 The resurrection of Christ Jesus reimagines our lives on earth. Life from above brings hope and healing in our worldly needs. We hold these things in common. The Holy Spirit dwells in our humble hearts and loving imaginations. This is how we maintain the power of the risen Lord.

I attempt as a pastor to help people share their possessions of love by learning to serve others in need. I also discover that offering art classes and poetry writing groups helps us feel connected through vulnerability and honesty. These forms of creativity come from our common lives and past mistakes, our lived experiences of embracing God.

One retiree wrote his first poem grieving his father who died more than fifty years ago. A businesswoman wrote about her childhood nightmares because she felt the warmth and support of the writers’ group. Teenagers in recovery have also found their new voices of hope in class. Men living in a halfway house find their liberated voices expressing emotions in charcoal and acrylic. I myself picked up a paintbrush for the first time four years ago. My passionate voice of faith is revealed now in color.

People desire healing and truth. Everyone learns about things of heaven when lives on earth are changed. Easter reimagines the past, offers emotional safety, and gives us all hope for tomorrow. The Holy Spirit gives us courage to live in exuberance, vitality and expression. Our real possessions come from imagination and creativity to build joy and hope for people on earth.

Fr. Ronald Raab, CSC

Ronald Patrick Raab, CSC, is pastor of the Tri-Community Catholic Parish in Colorado Springs, CO. He formerly served as associate pastor at Saint Andre Bessette Church in Old Town, Portland, OR. Learn more at http://www.ronaldraab.com