Almost two thousand years ago today
The stone upon His grave was rolled away,

And in the blinding darkness of the tomb
He rose and shattered there the grief and gloom

Within the hearts of those who worshiped Him.
Although that day and time have now grown dim,

One message through the ages has been hurled:
His love is hope and light for all the world.

And as the dawn of Easter fills the skies
We, too, with Him in spirit must arise;

For even underneath us in the earth
There is a faithful promise of rebirth.

If there’s a stone against your heart today,
Look up to him and it will roll away.*

*"Easter Message," by John Van Brakle, Christ in Poetry, edited by Thomas Curtis Clark, Association Press, New York, 1952.

The runner had stopped to catch his breath. He had covered almost three mil…