I'm forever indebted to "Cliff Notes" for my B- in English Literature. You remember "Cliff Notes", don't you? Those precious yellow booklets that reduced all the great literary works into bullet points. They lined the rotating display stand in the local drug store.

I can actually remember feeling sorry for all the chumps in my class who wasted their adolescence reading "Great Expectations" cover to cover. Maybe they just never went to drug stores.

In those days, I looked to the "Apostles' Creed" for my "Cliff Notes" summary of Christianity. I was glad that somebody had taken the time to weed through the Bible and sum it up for me so that I didn't have to read it.

I thought once more of my "Cliff Notes" days on this past Easter Sunday. I took my family to the sunrise service at our church and as morning dawned, we looked at one another and declared "He is Risen". Three short words…capturing the loveliest moment that will ever be.

"He is Risen!" Does this statement summarize for you the beauty that you have already found in His story? Does it compel you to show warmth and love for those who have harmed you? Are you stunned when Jesus tells Mary to tell "my brothers" that He is alive? (John 20:17) These were the "brothers" that had left him to suffer alone. These were the brothers who had sold him out.

There are rare moments in my life when I find myself actually eager to forgive. Still rarer are the moments I am eager to actually seek forgiveness. These are the strange and wonderful times when the mention of His name, makes we want to know so much more!

I suppose I'm thankful that the greatest author the world will ever know doesn't seem to mind so much if we reduce His story to a "Cliff Note".

He is Risen. He is Risen indeed!