Dear Friends,

One of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes is "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." This month we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ: the only person through whom we are reconciled to God.

We as Christians affirm the truth declared in Scripture that not only was Jesus dead and buried but "he was raised on the third day." We marvel at the fact that he was put to death for our sins and raised for our justification (Romans 4:25). Christ's death on the cross is a forcible reminder that our Christian faith is based in historical fact. We need to remember this when our unbelieving friends suggest that reason deals with fact while faith exists only in the realm of personal ideals or internal virtues. The New Testament does not allow for such a distinction, and nothing breaks down the wall of partition between faith and reason more than the reality of the resurrection.

Let me start with a story...

"There was a concert pianist in the last century that longed to play in the great concert hall in Vienna.

When he finished his first concert before thousands, the people gave him a standing ovation.

Afterwards, he was asked, "Was it the greatest moment in your life to receive this long applause?"

The concert pianist replied, "No! I liked it, but it was not the most important thing to me."

He said, "When the people all sat down, an elderly man who sat in the top corner of the balcony simply nodded his head at me. That was the greatest moment of my life because he is the master who taught me for 30 years. One nod from him was worth much more than the long applause of the masses."