Spring is a time when nature renews the Earth. For Christians, Easter Sunday, which always comes in spring, also embodies a message of renewal — that when hopes fade and times are sad, there is the abiding assurance of better days, of permanence, of resurrection.

Today is the day when bells ring and hymns are sung to proclaim the Risen Lord. It is a day of celebration.

These days, “Have a blessed day,” is a phrase heard more and more often as person-to-person conversations end. It is an appropriate parting for those who understand both what Easter means and that for Christians, every day is a blessed day.

Sometimes lost to hurriedness or other distractions is that Christianity is a faith centered on joy, specifically the joyful day Easter commemorates.

Sight should never be lost of the very simple, very direct and the timelessly profound message of Easter: Christ is risen. For those who believe, and whose faith in the fact and power of the resurrection is firm, all else is of lesser consequence. The joy of renewal is transcendent. The joy of believers can be tested, but is always basic to every other aspect of their daily lives.

Too many miss the point that Christians have every reason to be happy people. The message of Easter is why every day is a blessed day.