April 2, 2026

From Data to Depth

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and on those in the tomb bestowing life!

As followers of the Way, we proclaim Christ crucified and risen. It is an odd thing to do in a world that has lost its sense of wonder and mystery. Paul called his proclamation a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the gentiles. Today, our world would say, “Where’s the data? Show me the evidence. Where is the video footage? Did he stream it live?” Even many Christians today require their faith to be data driven, based on an inerrant scripture that serves as data instead of story. But we proclaim Christ crucified and risen, a stumbling block to the Jews, foolishness to the gentiles, and mystery to data driven.

And that mystery is something the world needs. The world cannot be counted on. The old conventions of society and governance are crumbling. In the age of AI, even video evidence can be faked nearly undetectably. The world is learning that data, like all things created, is unreliable. It needs something more. It needs depth instead of data, mystery and meaning instead of memes.

An article in the New York Times this week reported that the Roman Catholic Church is experiencing an unforeseen and unprecedented growth in new members. The Bishops have no good explanation, it isn’t anything new that the church is doing. Bishop Diana has told us that she too is hearing that many churches of our own Diocese are adding members. Again, it is not something new that we are doing. It isn’t modern liturgies, hip music, slick ads, moral ambiguity, or coffee shops in the narthex. I suspect, instead, that it is something very old – the proclamation of Christ crucified and risen, offered not as data but as an experienced mystery that we express Sunday by Sunday in a liturgy with roots in the second century and earlier. 

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and on those in the tomb bestowing life! It is a proclamation of hope, a proclamation that brings God into human suffering, a proclamation that offers guidance into an ancient new way of life, and a proclamation that restores community in an atomized society. May it ring from Resurrection into the world!

Have a blessed Easter and bless others with the news!