Bring it
Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord
Lectionary: 42
It is Easter. He is risen. The victory is won.
But, like the disciples on that first Easter morning, we can’t see the joyful miracle clearly. Mary of Magdala thought they’d taken the body of Jesus. Saint Peter and Saint John believed he was gone, but did not yet understand that Jesus had to rise from the dead.
Mary of Magdala came early in the morning, while it was still dark.
These are still dark days.
Some of you have family who are sick.
Many of us are out of work.
Most of us are not able to spend time with our friends and family.
Most Christians are not able to gather to celebrate the Lord’s resurrection.
All of us look forward to an end to the pandemic.
Many look at the world with fear and suspicion, whether they fear the pandemic, or the measures our governments have taken in response to the pandemic.
What do we see when we look at the world today?
Can we look at the world through the eyes of faith?
Will we believe that God is in control, and that he loves us?
Will we live as if Christ is risen, and not in the grave?
As we enter this Easter season, I hope we will choose to believe that God is in control, and Christ is risen. It is easy to gossip and grumble and look at the gloom. I hope we will choose to share the good news of the Gospel – while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, and rose again, victorious over death, and is seated in glory at the right hand of God the Father.
Yesterday, Pope Francis said “Tonight we acquire a fundamental right: the right to hope. It is a new and living hope that comes from God. It is not mere optimism; it is a gift from heaven, which we could not have earned on our own.”
Hope is a gift from heaven, and gifts from heaven are not meant for us to simply keep and use, but are meant for us to share.
These are still dark days. It is hard to see the light. So, when you see the light, show it to others!
Can I give you an example?
Karen and I are in the middle of opening a coffee shop. It has been her dream for twenty years. We hoped to open very early this year, but it didn’t work out, then the pandemic changed everything. About ten days ago, we were in the shop early one morning. We were not open yet, but we were practicing our morning routine. We saw a truck pull up outside. The truck stopped and sat for about twenty seconds. Then it drove off. He went just a few feet, then backed up, parked again, and came into the shop.
The tall stranger walked in the door. He had a nice smile, but looked nervous. “You aren’t going to believe this,” he said, “but God told me to give you this.”
He stretched out his hand, presenting a small stack of currency.
“God loves you, and we love you, and we want you to know we can’t wait until you are open.”
He turned around, and started to walk out.
“Wait,” I said, what is your name. “I’m Ed,” he said.
I saw Ed in the parking lot a few days ago, and ran to catch up to him. I told him how much he blessed us, not only with the money, which we used as our cash drawer for our first day in business, but with his kindness. He told me that God really had to work to convince him to stop that morning. It wasn’t something he would usually do.
God is calling us to share the same good news. God is calling us to share the fact that God loves us, that God is in control, and that God is so excited to work in our lives.
It’s hard sometimes. Ed had no idea whether Karen and I would look at him like some kind of weirdo, or welcome him and his message. All he really knew is that God was calling him to bring us a message of love.
God is calling us to bring a message of hope and love.
Let’s bring it.
