Alleluia!
Welcome to those with us for the first time or coming back after an
absence, and to those familiar faces - welcome! It is good to be there
together today and I hope you will join us again as we share God’s love
and our journey following the One who is Risen.
Anyone here see the movie called A Beautiful Mind in which Russell
Crowe played a mathematical genius who later developed a serious
mental illness? I watched in again last week and was struck by a line :
“I need to believe that something extraordinary is possible.”
We are gathered today, Christians all over the world to say that we believe
that something extraordinary is possible - and has happened - to
something as final as death. To death we say that we know there is more
to come. At our darkest hour, like Mary Magdelene going to the tomb to
visit the Lord she loved to find it empty, she discovered life again. At our
darkest hour, when we think we can’t possibly go one more step, what do
we do? We take another step, and another.
You can’t get to belief, that deep in your bones belief, in the resurrection
without having gone through some serious soul searching. Easter is about
life and death.
If you look at how Jesus and his disciples dealt with death, you will see
that they too wept. When Lazarus died, Jesus wept - when Jesus died,
Mary Magdelene stood outside of the tom and wept.
But that sorrow and grief didn’t last because the ultimate story of existence
is about life,not death. The end of this life is eternal life Abraham Heschel wrote that there is no proof for the existence of God,
there are only witnesses. Today’s gospel we meet the early witnesses who
were Jesus’ companions in the first century. This early brothers and sisters
still speak to us today.
Think of Peter and John running to the tomb, their hearts racing with the
news that Mary brought to them, that Jesus was gone from the tomb.
Peter, the rock on whom the church would be built - impetuous,
enthusiastic, mercurial Peter - the one who is representative of the
institutional church.
John, the one we know as the beloved disciple, more reflective and
cautious than Peter. John followed a more mystical path.
Put yourself in the place of Mary of Mandala on that cool, dark, Easter
morning Do you think any of them were expecting something extraordinary that
day? They were filled with grief. Mary wanted to go sit at the tomb, to sit
quietly with her heart full of sadness - but it was empty.
Mary recognized Jesus only after he said her name. She had been
speaking to him, thinking he was the gardener, but didn’t know it was him
until he said her name.
The Jesus that was resurrected after his death is different , it’s not the
same type of flesh and blood body, but transformed. The resurrected
Jesus ate fish and yet passed through walls. Mary didn’t recognize him at
first, but only after he said her name - there is something different about
the resurrected transformed body.
If we listen to their stories we will find people whose lives were transformed
because of the living Christ. People who initially fled in fear had the curb to
run and tell others about this most extraordinary event. And witnesses to
the living Christ have been doing the same ever since. Ever since Peter,
as well as the other apostles, laid their hands and the next generation of
the body of Christ, people have continued to do so until today. - to pass on
that faith that reaches through time.
We will do the same today as we baptize three children Amelia Damien
and Elijah to go forth and be witnesses to their generation of Christ that
lives in them.
We all can probably name some witnesses in our own lives. People who
somehow exuded the presence of God and love in their life. Some people
like that I have met in my own life include Mother Theresa. I had an
experience of meeting her and talking with her and being in her presence
was just amazing.
To be honest, we didn’t talk - I listened. I went to go see her when she
visited a Catholic church in San Francisco. I got there really early,
expecting a large crowd, and I was the first one there. It was 4 am and the
service didn’t start until 10 am. I confess I was a bit OCD about getting a
good seat. I went into the church when it opened and took a seat the third
row in. Mother Theresa sat right in front of me - and she just had an aura
around her. I was so moved and emotional after she spoke and the church
service was over that I couldn’t get in the car and drive home right away. I
went to the small chapel next door and just knelt in prayer to try to collect
myself. There were others there kneeling and praying in silence.
When I opened my eyes I saw that Mother Theresa had come in and was
the person kneeling right next to me. I didn’t want to disturb her prayer so I
got up quietly to leave and she followed me out. She reached over and to
touch my shoulder and get my attention before I went out the door and
asked - ‘What is your name?’
Now, I am a preacher, before that I was a teacher - I am not often without
words. and I have never before, or ever since, experienced this, but I could
not say a word. I opened my mouth to tell her my name and I couldn’t
speak.
She was very kind and said to take my time. Someone else came and
talked to her while I stood there. When the other person was done, she
asked where I lived - and again, I couldn’t talk. I never did speak to her,
but she spoke to me and said she’d pray for me and was glad to have met
me -
Another witness was my foster son Jason, who had cystic fibrosis and yet
beamed with God’s love every moment I knew him - even when he
decided at 21 years old to pull the plug on his life support machine.
Who are those who have been witnesses in your life?
To really be a follower of Jesus the Christ means we are not frozen by
fear. It means we refuse to let darkness and death think that is the last
word. Yes, there will be times of fear and darkness, but there is a deeper
truth that fills us with love and life no matter what.
So, if you are like Peter - impetuous, heart big as Texas - welcome. If you
are like John, with one foot in this world and one in the cosmos, welcome.
We are brought together for a variety of reasons- some to search for an
experience of the One who has risen and still alive today, some to express
joy and gratitude for the love they know, and all to bear witness to others.