Hallelujah! Christ is Risen! As I write this, it is the beginning of Lent; yet by the time you read this, it will be the Pentecost season. That's the reality of the magazine world. But perhaps it is also a reminder that we can have the joy and privilege of experiencing Easter in our hearts 365 days a year.

I remember a day in my early ministry when Easter truly came alive for me. It was a wintry Easter Sunday in Massachusetts, and I recall passing lilies shrouded by snow as I walked into the church. Because of the bad weather, many people would not be in church. There would be fewer voices singing “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today.”

Suddenly it dawned on me that during the spring snowfall, the lilies were still growing. They pushed through the snow, in all their beauty and vigor. They proclaimed a clear message that each one of us, despite problems and difficulties, can raise the triumphant shout of Easter: Christ is Risen!

On that snowy Easter day, the lilies were a profound symbol of resurrection. Because of our risen Lord, we can, like those flowers, bloom wherever we are.

Thank you for “battling the elements” to spend some time with us. I'm happy to report that Kua Wee Seng is the author of our cover story on China and the account of people finding new hope there. I thank you for your continued faithful readership, and if you are one of our readers who answered an e-mail survey in January, I want to thank you also for your valuable feedback.

I wish you all the joy of the season.