Alleluia! Easter is the day of alleluias. I write this as I listen to the HOH service for the second time. After all these years of two services, once through is not enough — especially for the music.
Years ago while on vacation with some friends, each person chose a song from the collection of CDs in the car’s player. Since it was not my car and I didn’t know what was there, one of the kids chose for me. Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah was the song chosen for me. I love that my young friend associated me with hallelujahs!
It is not lost on me that many people are in the deep sorrow of sudden sickness or loss just now. But today’s hallelujah/alleluia (Hebrew roots/Greek and Latin roots) is bigger than all of us. It is not about one moment, but about the ultimate moments. Our funeral liturgy says, “even at the grave, we make our song: ‘Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia’.” Which is to say, life doesn’t end with a whimper or a bang, but an Alleluia. Praise for all beauty, all truth, all love gives us life. Life teaches us that beauty is heartbreaking and the loss of love bruises or wounds the soul. Easter assures us that no matter what befalls, there is always redemption, restoration, resurrection. Hallelujah/Alleluia!
