“Stand” is a strong verb, not for the faint of heart

Has your health awareness changed as a result of the corona pandemic of the last two years? Are you trying to keep yourself physically fit by adopting more standing or even walking postures instead of sitting comfortably?

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The word «stand» fascinates me. It’s a strong verb, not for the faint of heart. Who doesn’t want that: standing up for justice and peace, standing up for a cause close to your heart, being steadfast in your beliefs and values? “Standing” stands for the upright walk, stands for poise, backbone, sincerity. Maybe I’m not always stable, but the longer my life lasts, the more experiences I’ve endured and survived.

Standing on the sidelines

In my life, however, there were also those times when I wavered, when I stood on the sidelines; no longer upright, no longer strong, but depressed, misunderstood, despondent, lonely, tired from life crises.

Thanks to the support and empathic help of other people, I was able to get up again after a period of strengthening and attention and find my way back to the middle of life. So getting up is so much more than getting out of bed in the morning.

stand up for life

In its deepest meaning, standing up opens up the horizon of questions about the resurrection of the dead. But not only the resurrection at the end of life is the center of the Christian religion, it is much more the focus of our everyday life. It challenges us and gives us gifts at the same time. She tells us: Stand up for life, stand together against social indifference, loneliness and indifference. Stand up against the glorification of violence, warmongering, abuse and oppression of any kind in society. Don’t leave anyone out in the rain. Stand up for the displaced, persecuted, refugees, frightened and exhausted. Resist the daily routine with all its inertia and passivity. Resurrection means showing stamina to stand up for the unfolding of life and the development of as many living beings as possible.

The gift of resurrection

The resurrection festival, Easter, is the most important and highest festival for Christians. Death (Good Friday) is only the penultimate reality. God always calls into being, whether people are born or die. In every breath, Christians are called to resurrection. I should and can always stand up in the middle of everyday life against all crises, hostilities and injustices. And when my strength fails me, I can no longer stand and get up, God stretches out his hand for resurrection. God is the one who resurrects, who stays by my side, who stands up for me. Beyond death, Christians are promised resurrection into a new life. Easter stands both for the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth after his death on the cross and for the transformation of my person when space and time on this earth no longer count, when all my experiences in God live on mentally and spiritually. At Easter, Christians remember and celebrate the greatest gift that God can give them: resurrection.

Stand up for a just life

For me personally, resurrection means: stand up for the good life, stand up for a just life, stand ready, stand up straight and stand by the living; stand by your life presence; understand your life and that God is behind everything. So I wish all readers: Happy and blessed Easter with many lasting experiences.

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