After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
For those two Marys it never occurred to them that it WOULD happen. It never even crossed their minds that it COULD happen. After everything they saw on Friday… after the horrors, suffering, the death… After the oppressive darkness of Saturday filled with overwhelming grief, there was nothing to indicate that it SHOULD happen.
But the two Marys set out to do the next right thing anyway, which was visit Jesus’ tomb, and in doing the next right thing… it just
happened…
Easter happened!
After all they had seen… after days of darkness and anguish… as they walked to the tomb because… well… that’s just what you do when someone you love is dead and buried…
There… right in front of them… just sitting on the rolled back stone… was an angel who said…
“Do not be afraid” and…
Easter happened!
Easter happens! Not JUST that first Easter and not just every year on the first Sunday following the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox. Easter CONTINUALLY happens.
Kings and despots come and go…
Easter Happens.
Countries and empires rise and fall…
Easter happens.
Wars are started, rich men plot, markets tumble, regimes march in and get chased out, natural disasters blow and shake and burn all around the world and still…
Easter happens!
In the bright light of the most noble of human endeavors…
Easter happens.
In the deepest darkness of humanity’s evil and horrors…
Easter happens.
Whether the nations be led by masterminds or morons… the upright or the unethical... the compassionate or the malevolent
Easter happens!
THAT’S the message for today.
Easter happens. ALWAYS!
Easter ALWAYS Happens.
Whenever we find ourselves in Good Friday times… personally, professionally, nationally, or globally… whenever we are confronted with humanity’s inhumanity… whenever we are plunged into suffering, grief, oppression, injustice and all the rest… up to and including death itself.
Easter happens!
Whenever life is overwhelmingly, oppressively dark… whenever we find ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually in those horribly unnerving, deeply disorienting times of deep darkness... The sort of darkness that festers and foments horrible anxiety… panic about tomorrow and worries for the years to come. Even in those darkest of times…
Easter happens!
On the upside, the daily horrors we face are usually not literal crucifixion. On the downside, the darkness we endure seems to go on a lot longer than just three days! The Herculean efforts we make when the world feels like it is ending for us, to try and do the next right thing... those aren't visiting Jesus’ tomb, BUT into this and EVERY OTHER kind of Good Friday experience… into this and EVERY OTHER seemingly endless length of Holy Saturday darkness that we endure…
EASTER HAPPENS!
Easter happens… because, you see, life, death, and resurrection is the pattern that God has baked into every molecule of creation. Life, death, and resurrection is the way the world was made to work! God knew that setting humans loose into this world with Free Will would inevitably end in painful Good Friday moments and dark Holy Saturday times… which is why God also baked into creation one specific, particular ending for… well… everything…
Easter happens!
The story that begins in grief, will always end in JOY.
The story that starts in darkness will always end in LIGHT! The story that begins in death, will always, somehow, in ways that will be as unexpected as a man being raised from the dead… end in NEW LIFE! God has made Easter the ending to literally EVERY story… EVER.
So, if this particular moment in your life is NOT an Easter moment. If for you, this time in our National life is not an Easter feeling time. If this period of life feels oppressively dark, horribly inhumane, violent, hopeless, and maddening for any reason or every reason…
Might I humbly suggest you try what those two Marys tried on that very first Easter Sunday… get a friend... get out of bed... and do the next right thing. No matter how small and insignificant it might seem... even when it feels like that won't do anything at all. Then… as you're walking toward that next right thing... keep your eyes open… Because
Easter Happens.
Easter ALWAYS happens. Amen.
