Lightning flashes, thunder roars, the earth trembles, a stone rolls away; life in times of transition is tumultuous. One moment Mary Magdalene was sitting peacefully, listening to the words of her teacher: “Blessed are the peacemakers…do unto others as you would have them do unto you…love your enemy…do not forgive seven times, but forgive seventy-seven times.” In the very next moment a swarm of humanity, throwing all of those teachings about peace and love of enemy into the wind, pick Jesus up and drag him away, throwing him on a cross. Mary followed close behind the entire time, watching it all, watching in horror as the teacher she loved and supported with her own wealth died a horrible death. And now, as she comes to the grave to grieve the loss of her teacher in peace, lightning flashes, thunder roars, the earth trembles, and a stone is rolled away.
It is scary enough to try to start over in life again without all of this! Whenever someone close to us dies, we all struggle to figure out a new way to live. Somehow you must figure out how to function without the one you love nearby. If you have lost a mother you may have to figure out who you will go to when you need to cry, or when you need to know how much milk to put into the cookies. If you have lost a spouse you may have to figure out how to do the bills, or how to sleep alone in a bed without someone warm and loving close by. Now imagine trying to start over when the one who has shaped your whole way of life, your whole way of thinking has gone. How do you function when your whole life has been taken? Fear pervades life. Even the earth goes into throws of grief pangs.
When life is so tumultuous, the first words spoken to you are often quite significant. First words can shape a person’s entire future. Think of the first words spoken when a child is born, “Oh, she is so beautiful.” That sets the tone for the rest of that child’s life. What kind of life would a child have if the first words from the parent were, “For heaven’s sake, not another one!”? Probably, not a great start on life.
These are the first words spoken to Mary by the angel, “Do not be afraid.” Easy for the angel to say, the angel has a direct line to God, so to speak. The angel can go up any time and find out what the future will hold. Yet, coming from an angel who does bring a direct message from God, “Do not be afraid” is probably a good word. Times of transition are so tumultuous. Knowing that you don’t have to be anxious about the future is like a moisture filled cream that soothes the soul. Do not be afraid. The future will be fine. He is risen. He is not gone forever. The life you knew, the one with Jesus and his teachings and his love close to your heart, will continue. Your life will continue on. He is risen. Not only that, he has gone ahead of you. He is not left behind, only to be forgotten. He has gone ahead of you.
Most of you know that I backpack. And, I am now going to admit something to you. I have never backpacked off trail. At least I have never backpacked off trail on purpose. Fear of the unknown has probably hindered me. The very real fear that I may die if I take a wrong turn lingers too close in my mind. I like the trail. I like knowing that someone has gone ahead, making sure that the way is safe, and that there is a destination like a lake or waterfall that makes it worth the trip.
Jesus has gone ahead of us. He has laid the trail. He is waiting at the end. Somehow, knowing this makes an uncertain and fear-filled trip easier. He is risen. He has not disappeared. In fact, he has already gone ahead and is already waiting for us, looking for us to show up into our own uncertain future. There is a great freedom in that. Like the women, we can run forward in confidence and meet the future that Christ has in store. Whether it be a future in Towanda, or Philli, or Tanzania; whether it be a future with family, or with hungry strangers, Christ is there. The stone has been rolled away, and Christ is waiting for us to run with confidence toward our future. With Christ, the journey is nothing to be scared of. It is a certain future after-all.
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