“Faith Matters” is a column that features pieces written by local religious figures. Every year, Christians celebrate Easter with joy and conviction: the tomb is empty, death is defeated, hope is alive. It is the centerpiece of the faith, the moment everything changed.But as with many defini ng moments in life, the real question comes afterward:Now what?What happens after the celebration fades, when real life resumes and the emotions settle into something more complicated?The days immediately following the resurrection were not marked by bold confidence or public celebration. They were marked by something far more familiar: uncertainty, emotional swings, and a group of followers trying to make sense of it all.When Peter and John first ran to the tomb, they found it empty — linen cloths lying there, but no body. The Gospel of John tells us that one of them “saw and believed,” yet even then, they didn’t fully understand what had happened. The initial response wasn’t clarity. It was confusion.Mary Magdalene’s experience captures this even more vividly. She came to the tomb grieving, still caught in sorrow. Even when she encountered the risen Jesus, she didn’t recognize Him at first. It wasn’t until He spoke her name—“Mary”—that everything changed. In a moment, sorrow gave way to joy.Yet even that joy was complicated. Jesus told her not to cling to Him, signaling that things would not simply return to the way they were. The resurrection was not a reset button; it was the beginning of something new. That realization likely carried a mix of hope and disorientation—even disappointment.By the time we reach the disciples later that same day, another emotion takes center stage: fear. They are gathered behind locked doors, uncertain and afraid of what might come next.It is into that very real, very human moment that Jesus appears.He doesn’t scold them for their fear. He doesn’t demand immediate courage or clarity. Instead, He offers something simple and profound: “Peace be with you.”And then, almost immediately, He adds: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”It is a striking sequence. Before direction, there is peace. Before assignment, there is presence.The message of the resurrection, it turns out, is not that life suddenly becomes easy or emotionally steady. The first witnesses experienced sorrow, confusion, joy, uncertainty, and fear—all in rapid succession. In many ways, their experience mirrors our own.We know what it feels like to move from hope to uncertainty, from clarity to questions. We carry responsibilities, face pressure, and navigate seasons where the path forward isn’t always clear.Life after Easter still includes all of that.The difference is not the absence of struggle, but the presence of something greater in the middle of it.The resurrection is not just something to celebrate; it is something to live from.It reminds us that we are not alone in our uncertainty, not defined by our emotional highs and lows, and not paralyzed by fear. We are met where we are—and then gently, but clearly, sent forward.“Peace be with you,” Jesus says.And then: “Go.”The most important issue for us after the resurrection is how we will live because of it.Even in the midst of everything we face, we can move forward—not driven by pressure, but grounded in peace. Go in peace!  Rev. Todd Foster is community liaison and director of pastoral care at Cornerstone Christian Center. Previous ​“Faith Matters” columns:  • Let’s Join A Love Revolution• From Redemption to Revelation • Self-Restraint In The Age Of Distraction• Faith Matters: Will You Cross The Road?• Faith Matters: Jesus Remembered Immigrants• Faith Matters: 17 Steps To Self-Care• Extreme Compassion• Put A Shovel In The Ground• Start With The Foundation• True Sanctuary• Kingdom Questions• Faith Matters: Faith Over Fear• Faith Matters: Scar Glory• Faith (Still) Matters• Missions Ride on Faith• Why I’m Called To March• Faith Matters: Not Moonwalking• My Prayer For Peace Unity• Faith Matters: Belief In Action• Faith Matters: Gaza  Ramadan• Faith Matters: On Passover  Redemption• Faith Matters: Freedom Struggles  Holy Week• Faith Matters: Welcome The Stranger• Faith Matters: Beyond Neutrality• Faith Matters: The Lightened Yoke Is Love• Faith Matters: Combat Negativity With Compassion• Faith Matters: In The Middle• Faith Matters: Three Scandals• Faith Matters: The Three Hounds Of Hell• Faith Matters: In Praise Of Empathy• Faith Matters: Focus On God• Faith Matters: How To Say Goodbye• Missing Catherine• Faith Matters: Divine Light In Times Of Darkness• Jesus Islam• Faith  Famine• A Stick Of Faith• Faith Matters: For All The Saints The post After The Resurrection: Now What? appeared first on New Haven Independent. ...read more read less