As Mary moves towards the tomb of Jesus and
grief consumes her heart. John reminds us of that, “It was still dark”.
The sunrise had yet to happen, both physically and metaphorically: for Mary, in
body and soul, “It was still dark”. No
doubt she may have been wondering if there would ever be light again.
Who would have
thought a year ago when we gathered to celebrate Easter in our churches and
with our friends and family, that a year later our church doors locked,
businesses closed, schools closed, millions out of work, , air travel almost
ground to a stop, countries on lockdown, many normal events in our communities,
cities prohibited and everyone being told to stay home. Those working to
provide the necessities of life protect themselves with shields as best they
can, from the Corona virus diseas that is threatening all of the world and has
claimed the lives of all to many. The
Term “social distancing”, new to our vocabulary, but now very frequently used
and exercised goes against everything that we naturally do when we see and
greet people we are happy to see, people we love, people we want to extend our
support to.
We have all had
our share of news on the Covid 19 Corona Virus disease, but have you thought
about the virus from a theological standpoint?
As Christians
we are a people of faith in a loving and giving God. A God whom we trust and
place our faith in, and who does not want us to live in fear, but in faith in
Him. Psalm 23:4 Even
though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with
me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. or
Deuteronmy 31:6 Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
The gospel is the good news of God, John 3:16 sums it all up 6 For God so loved the
world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. It is
the empowering work of God’s love in us which enables us to move forward, to
trust, to cope, to maintain, to not let fear overcome us.
Our self isolating
is not solely for ourselves, but for respect and concern for one another. For
our families who we desire to be with, for our neighbor for the stranger for
each other, we do what is best for all concerned. We are in this together and
what we are doing is out of compassion and love for one another. We act with
faith in these times not fear.
Reaching out
through a hug, a kiss, handshake are at the heart of family and friendship.
Often when we meet someone for the first time, we may extend our hand in
friendship and respect for that person. It is important and can meet a great
deal.
Our Lord God
did not choose to save us by sending a hand, or a letter or a text God sent
Himself in the form of His Son, Jesus.
Not only did He send His Son, but sent Him in a way that we could
embrace Him and identify with Him, learn from Him and worship Him. He came in
human and divine form born an infant to dwell among us
living the true reality of life on earth like us. He was about embodiment,
incarnation, He was and is about face to face, and hand in hand we go through
life and death. Psalm 23:4 Yea,
though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Jesus touched
the contagious, the lonely, ill and afraid and made them and makes them whole.
For now and
this Easter 2020, we witness our faith our compassion for others in different
ways. The phone calls, the texts, the mail, the packages dropped off, the signs
in our windows and so on. In one community a woman brought her therapy dog to
the window of the nursing home just to make contact with those inside. Many
people are picking up groceries for others allowing them to stay safe at home.
The little things are not so little anymore and we are learning & or
relearning some important values. Time is a valued commodity that for many
races by in a blurr. Right now some people you are struggling with what to do
with the empty space on your calendars. See it as a gift, to use wisely. We are
limited but not restrained. In faith we
embrace each day anew, mindful that we are not in charge, as we may have
thought. Psalm 90:12 says Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. May we live the embodiment of the
gospel of Jesus Christ wherever we are and wherever we go, even as we stand in
line and wait our turn.
We are witnesses to the moment when Mary meets her risen
Lord. Her grief turns to joy and she brings to us the good news that has been
proclaimed throughout the ages, "I have seen the Lord." The
light of the world could not be extinguished.
A story that begins with sadness, fear and searching ends
with surprise and great and everlasting joy. It is a story that takes us full
circle back to the opening of the gospel of John.
Jesus' first words are a question directed at the disciples
of John the Baptizer. "What are you looking for?" (John 1:38)
And here, in this beginning, this new creation, Jesus asks Mary the very same
question, "Whom are you looking for?" (John 20:15). Is Jesus
asking the same question of us this Easter morning? What are we looking for? It
was when Jesus called her by name that Mary recognized her beloved Rabbouni. Is
Jesus calling our name? And when John's disciples called out to this Rabbi, he
invited them to "Come and see" (John 1:39). Are we being called to
see the new things that God is doing in our lives and in the world that we do not recognize right now?
Second, unlike the synoptic gospels that begin at dawn,
John's gospel account begins in the dark,
"In the beginning." Could it be that John is taking us back,
once more, to that darkness when "the earth was a formless void and
darkness covered the face of the deep" (Genesis 1:2). The author is
echoing Paul's declaration that in the death and resurrection of Jesus we are
experiencing a new creation, "everything old has passed away; see,
everything has become new!" (2 Corinthians 5:17) There may be more truth
in that then we realize right now.
Without knowing it, Mary has correctly identified Jesus as
the gardener who is bringing a new world, a new life, and a new creation into
being, as he had done before:
"All things came into being through him, and without
him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life,
and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and
the darkness did not overcome it"
(John 1:3-5).
Unlike the Genesis story in the garden when Adam & Eve
are sent out, Mary leaves the garden rejoicing. She has the Lord and understood
"the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth." (John
1:14) "I have seen the Lord." (John 20:18) Her message declares
to us the new beginning that God has prepared for all of us.
The Easter story is not
one to be confined to the history books: it is a living experience for each one
of us as we learn to truly see Christ for who he is and the impact he can have
on our lives. Seek and you shall find.
He is Risen, Halleluiah!!
Resources
In the beginning
. . . In the new beginning . . . Wednesday, March 18th, 2020 The “Crown” in the Coronavirus: A Theological
Reflection on the COVID-19 Pandemic Dr. Timothy C. Tennent, is President of Asbury Theological
Seminary and Professor of World Christianity.
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