Injustice of the Unhoused

“He Has Risen, Indeed”

By Rodney Sadler

I have often heard the phrase
Recited on Resurrection Morning
As if proclaimed by script
“He Has Risen, Indeed!”
It has the feel of something
Routine and said by rote
Without much consideration
Just something to say this day

But I have come to understand
It is more than just learned words
Repeated and recited
In response to an unasked question
No, these words mean more than that

“He Has Risen, Indeed!” means:
Poverty is not intractable
Racism is not inevitable
Hatred is overcomeable
Oppression is overturnable
Sickness is healable
Victory is achievable
It is the “…able”
The ability to end evil

“He Has Risen, Indeed!” means:
We can fight impossible fights and win them
We can dream impossible dreams and manifest them
We can confront impossible foes and defeat them
We can face impossible odds and transcend them
We can do impossible deeds and accomplish them
We can live impossible lives and commend them

“He Has Risen, Indeed!” is:
A testimony that the incredible is possible
A reminder that the unbelievable is realizable
A witness that there is nothing that limits us
An affirmation that there is nothing that is beyond us
An attestation that our hopes are limitless
An assertion that our potential is boundless

“He Has Risen, Indeed!” is:
A promise that we will rise, too
On a future day at a future time
That our future is assured
That our fate is in God’s hands
But we’d be remiss not to see
That it is also a (now) promise
That with God “all things are (now) possible”
That with God we are (now) unconquerable
That with God we are (now) invincible
That with God we need (now) never fear

“He Has Risen, Indeed!” challenges us:
To never give up in frustration
To never give in to disdain
To never surrender to doubt
To never submit to injustice
To never succumb to disbelief
To never pay heed to naysayers
To never concede to defeat

For “He Has Risen, Indeed!” assures us:
That God is on the throne
That God is over all
That God is standing with us
That God is walking by us
That God is living in us
That God is working through us
That we are not alone!

“He Has Risen, Indeed!” proclaims boldly that:
A man filled with God’s Spirit
A man filled with God’s Word
A man who healed the sick
A man who encouraged the poor
A man who welcomed the strangers
A man who challenged the systems
A man who lived for justice
A man who Loved us all
Was opposed by this world’s leaders
Was crushed by this world’s judgment
Was abused by this world’s powers
Was killed by this world’s violence
Was buried with this world’s refuse
But was raised by the God who made this world
Who overcame this world
Who overcomes this world
Who will transform this world
Who is transforming this world
Who is even (now) transforming this world

So, “He Has Risen, Indeed!” is:
That which we should remember
When-ever conflicts rise
When hope within us wanes
When waves would over wash us
When troubles would overtake us
That we need not be afraid
That we need not ever be moved
For when it seemed the world had won
For when it seemed that all was lost
God won!
And because God won
We will win!

Yes, “He Has Risen, Indeed!” is:
An acknowledgement of God’s victory
An attestation of our belief that that victory
Cascades down to us as
Countless other victories
This world in all its power
This world will yield to God
This world will yield to us
For, “He Has Risen!”
“He Has Risen, Indeed!”