Easter Sunrise

Each year our church holds an Easter sunrise service on the beach and it is one of our favorite services to attend. The picture on the right was from the last one we were in Victoria for.

This year, we set our alarms for 5:00a.m. and when we awoke, it was pouring rain. Being the diehard she is, Nolana insisted we still go and I, being the lazy ass I am, didn't want to get out of bed but was also too lazy to argue with her. So we went.

It was a steady rain which was joined by a stiff wind off the ocean. There was no sunrise, just a gradual lightening behind the canopy of ominous, grey rainclouds. The wind whipped smoke from the valiant fires and Daija screamed intermittently at the injustice of being awoken at 5am to be subjected to the cold.

And yet, somehow, it was Easter. I couldn't hear much of the reading or meditation and could only hear myself when singing (despite there being a full band with banjo, stand-up bass, guitar and drum) but it felt like Easter watching the 75 of us huddle in the rain, overlooked by the three crosses.

There were no pictures taken this year and everyone quickly dispersed when the service was over. But there is something magical about getting up at 5am and trekking to the beach with other believers to celebrate the pivotal event in Christian faith. Even if it is in the rain.