LEAP OF FAITH: A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Last month on Resurrection Day, Arnie asked his weekly email readers to share testimonies of how Easter has changed their lives. I didn’t submit one then—but I’ll offer mine to you now.

This year, John 20:28–29 reached out and grabbed me by the hand. In this passage, we learn that, just a week after the resurrection, Thomas turns from doubt to belief:

“Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’”

I’ve walked with Jesus for years now. And honestly? It’s gotten easier to smooth over the bumps in the road—whether it’s a skyrocketing grocery bill, a broken-down car, or a loved one scheduling knee surgery. But lately I’ve been asking: Am I depending on my history with Jesus—or on Jesus Himself?

Have I started replacing faith in God with familiarity?

In a very real sense, like Thomas, I’ve seen Jesus—His presence, His faithfulness, His answers to prayer. But this Easter has impressed on me the importance of finding the edge where faith stretches beyond what’s familiar.

It’s stepping out—sharing Jesus with others, entering the messy work of discipling someone, or simply asking: “Jesus, what do You want?” Even this season is His gift to me. And maybe it’s no coincidence that on a recent trip, my iPhone also got into the act. It “randomly” played this reminder:

“…Take the leap of faith.

Come on let’s go!

I’m diving in. I’m going deep, in over my head

I want to be.

Caught in the rush, lost in the flow,

In over my head I want to go.

The river’s deep, the river’s wide,

The river’s water is alive—

So sink or swim, I’m divin’ in.”

(Lyrics from the song, Dive, by Steven Curtis Chapman)

That’s the invitation of Easter that lasts all year—to take the leap again. Let’s dive in.

Bryon Swanson

Editor