An Easter Sunrise
A/N: Christfollower316 requested something for Easter; I did what I could. It's not exactly what you asked for, I'm sorry, but it's what my head had.
It was Easter morning in England, and four children sat in their small yard, waiting for the sunrise.
The sky had slowly changed from deepest navy to the pale grey of morning, and one by one the stars had gone out. Peter, seeing Susan shiver, reached out his arm and drew her close. Edmund did the same for Lucy, but not a word did the four say.
They were waiting for the promise of the dawn.
Gradually the horizon changed more, turning first to pink, to red. Then Edmund spoke.
"As the sky changes to red, we remember the Lion's spilled blood." His voice, deeper than normal, held sorrow but also wonder. Lucy put her arm around his waist and squeezed, smiling up at him.
The glorious pink spread over the entire horizon, reaching higher in the sky, deepening in colour near the centre.
And then the gold began. Just a hint of it, in the place where the sun would rise. And Susan spoke. "We watched all through that long night. We did not leave Him, for even dead, our hearts belonged to Him. We had nowhere to go; we had no purpose. So we walked through the night, and in the morning, we knew the calm of despair. So we came to the dawn of that day."
The gold shone stronger, brighter, larger, and Lucy spoke. "We watched the light come without hope, for the light of our hearts was gone."
"But then," Peter added, his voice the deepest of the four, ringing out in firm gladness, "then the table cracked." The first of the sun rose above the horizon.
"Then death itself worked backwards," Edmund added, light falling on his face.
"Then we ran back, fearing, not knowing to hope," Susan added, the single tear on her cheek lit like a flame. The sun was a third above the horizon now.
"And then we saw Him," Lucy said softly. The four were silent for a moment.
Peter, still looking at the sun—for in early morning, sometimes the sun can be seen, though it is too bright to see during the day—commanded, "Tell us what you saw, Lu."
"We saw the table first, with the body gone. We grieved, for we longed so much for Him we wanted at least that left. But then we turned, and there He was. He was standing, breathing, His eyes open and living and watching us."
"We were afraid," said Susan, more tears falling. "We did not know how much we could hope for, when He was at work. But with His words He calmed our fears and called us over, and we touched Him. He was alive. He was real."
"We held Him, and played with Him with laughter and joy, and proved He was alive over and over. He breathed on us," Lucy added, smiling with pure joy through her own tears.
"And thus was death defeated," Peter finished.
The bottom of the sun cleared the land, and the full golden disk shown. Both boys stood, reaching a hand down to their sisters to pull them up. Edmund reached for Susan's hand as well, and the four stood together in the light.
"Today we remember the day death was defeated in this world," Peter declared. "For the Son of God died on Friday."
"Ones who loved Him buried Him, binding His body in graveclothes," Susan said, her gentle voice reminding them of the love He had been shown, after so much cruelty.
"But death could never hold Him. The stone was rolled aside," Edmund said, the sorrow gone and only wonder remaining.
"The graveclothes were folded," said Lucy.
"The tomb was empty," said Edmund.
"His followers saw Him," Susan said, her tears ceasing and the smile that caught nations looking back at the blue sky.
"And He ate with them, taught them, and showed His love to them, till the day He was called back to Heaven," Peter finished. "Today we remember that death is defeated, and that the King of Kings is alive, after having died for us." The four held each other's hands a little more tightly, and let the words sink in. The entire sky had turned blue.
At last Edmund sighed, and offered Susan a smile. "Shall we go make breakfast for Mum and Dad?"
She smiled back, the only answer he needed, and the four turned towards the house, ready to serve others with joyful hearts.
Peter paused, the last to go through the door (he'd held it open), and looked back at the bright blue sky, and the sun too bright to see directly. He smiled. "A clear sky was a glorious gift for the morning. Thank you," he said, before going inside and closing the door.
A/N: If you're going to church this morning, may the worship be sweet, filled with light and life.