Easter Hope
Monday, April 7, 2014 at 8:15AM In the gospel of John, the Easter story begins with the words, "Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark..." It seems to me that this is always how our discovery of the risen Christ begins – in the darkness. While it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to a tomb because earlier in the week Jesus had been killed. With him, her hope died.
It has been a difficult winter for many of us.
Earlier this winter, an old couple received a phone call from their son who lives far away. The son said he was sorry, but he wouldn’t be able to come for a visit after all. They assured him that they understood, but when they hung up the phone they didn’t dare look at each other.
Earlier this winter, a woman was called into her supervisor’s office to hear that they had to let her go. She cleaned out her locker, packed away her hopes for getting ahead, and wondered what she would tell her son.
Earlier this winter, someone received terrible news from a physician. Someone else heard the words, "I want a divorce."
Earlier this winter, someone’s hope was crucified. And the darkness is overwhelming.
St. Philip's Lutheran Church, Toronto, ON
No one is ever ready to encounter Easter until he or she has spent time in the dark place where hope cannot be seen. Easter is the last thing we are expecting. Easter is not about bunnies, springtime or cute new dresses. It’s about hope, more hope than we can really handle.
What we long for, what we miss and beg God to give back, is dead. Easter doesn’t change that. So we cannot cling to the hope that Jesus will take us back to the way it was. The way out of the darkness is only by moving ahead. And the only person who can lead the way is the Saviour. But not the old Lord we once knew, which is only one more thing that has to be left behind. Until we discover a new vision of the Saviour, a Saviour who has risen out of our disappointments, we will never understand Easter.
After the resurrection, things do not return to normal for Mary, or for any of us. That’s the good news. After seeing a risen Jesus, we realize that there is no “normal”. All we know for sure is that the risen Saviour is on the loose in the world. And that he knows us by our names. May this Easter bring you assurance of God’s hold of you as you make your way out of the darkness into the light.
See you in church,
Pastor Tuula
Reader Comments (1)
thanks for sharing with us