As you may know, I love my new church. It’s Episcopalian and I am not. I was raised Catholic and some folks think I’m Jewish. (I enjoyed many, many seders in my younger years.) I’ve studied Buddhism and a little Hinduism. I am a modern Mystic.

So where does that leave me on Easter? I’m celebrating rebirth, resurrection and the Divine Feminine over a twice baked cinnamon roll (because I ate the first one when it wasn’t fully cooked) and feeding my son jelly beans out of the bag, bread in a giant bowl and a token orange. And it finds me writing to you.

We just returned from a hybrid evacuation (our fourth—this last one due to the threat of debris flow from rain) and Spring break. I thought I would make it to my church’s super cool stand-around-the-fire ancient chanting service (Taize prayer) last night. Then I thought I would at least make it to services this morning. But I am exhausted. And being around groups of people right now—even the thought of getting dressed, is too much.

If you look at your life as a wheel with pie pieces made up of the basic things—relationships, money, home, health—so much of my wheel has been pummeled by events in the last six months.

And still, like the Maya Angelou poem states, “I rise, I rise, I rise.”

Those who believe in Christ, also look for the second coming. Where and how would Christ appear incarnate? Is he walking among us now? In the U.S., Christianity has been divided in so many ways that the answer to this question will look wildly different depending upon the religion or even the individual church.

Many people have asserted that the second coming of Christ or the Christ Mind is occurring right now with the rise of the Divine Feminine. Whether it’s the Global Women’s movement, #MeToo or even the young girls standing in front of the hearts and minds of millions via social media during the #MarchforOurLives, we bear witness to the female warrior, the healer, the fiercely loving energy coming forth to protect humans, creatures and our planet.

For me, that’s the Divine Feminine. We can even see it in some men. There are those brothers, friends, fathers, uncles, with the ability to truly see and value women—the divine feminine energy courses through their veins. We are lucky to have many men among us who can hold both the Divine Feminine and the the Sacred Masculine which is embodied in the photo of photographer Amheric Miguel Hall below, at the Desert Rose Labyrinth. (By the way, women hold the Sacred Masculine energy in big ways too, but that’s for another blog post.)

This all feels fluid and confusing. It’s not a clean cut way to approach faith. But that is faith. It’s messy and oftentimes full of doubt. The packing and unpacking from our four evacuations during the last four months, and watching our way of life fray at the edges—that has been messy.

But I have seen worse in my own life. And I know that people in the world experience a level of poverty and strife far beyond my imagination.

This morning, as I began writing this post, Amheric (who is not only an amazing photographer, but also a drummer, playwright and marathon runner–among many of his life “roles”), sent me a breathtaking photo of today’s Easter sunrise at Mt. Zion National Park. It’s at the top of this post. At that moment I had just pulled clothes for church from our suitcases. But when I looked at the photographs he sent (even one of the Blue Moon right before), I said, God is there, in the sky and the mountains. That’s where I want to go to church today—in nature.

Sometimes we find the divine in the smile of another, sometimes we find it in the church pew or in the silence of eating a half-baked cinnamon bun. And sometimes, we find the divine in Mother nature.

There is so much comfort in the dependability of the sun and the moon when all else feels unsure. No matter what you believe, whether you celebrate Easter, Passover or some other holiday or today is just like any other day, I hope that these words help to spark a recognition of the divine in you and in those around you. For together, we can ignite those sparks into a bonfire of love. And that love will always win.

You are never alone.

I see the divine in you.

Happy Easter!

**All breathtaking photos are used by permission of Amheric Miguel Hall.**