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HE IS RISEN!

March 31, 2024

Acts 10:34-43 | 1 Corinthians 25:6-9 | John 20:1-18 | Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

“They (the angels) said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’” John 20:1-18

Today is a day of over-the-top celebration. Today is a day of shouting HE IS RISEN, of wearing bright clothing, wonderful hats, and listening to bold, bombastic music. There is nothing subtle about Easter, and I love the celebration, the excitement, the energy, and the boldness in our proclamation that Christ is indeed alive!

Yet I know that our celebrations are not felt or heard in all corners of the world, or of our nation, or our state. Mary weeps. Mary was seeking a reminder of the hope that she once had when she approached the grave, and what she saw was the reminder of that hope removed. “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” And Mary weeps. Before we move to the celebrations and the shouting, pause and listen for the weeping. Mary weeps and the world weeps on this Easter morning. It is not just the weeping of Mary, but of all who have lost a sense of hope. It is the weeping of those who cannot find reason to celebrate on this day. It is the weeping of those who continue to live and struggle amidst violence, war, hatred, fear, and oppression. Mary weeps on Easter morning. The world weeps on Easter morning.

I pray that on this morning we embrace the joy of the resurrection and ask God to help us not just shout that Christ is risen but show what that means. I pray that God shows us how to share the real hope of the resurrection to those who are actively weeping. Let us celebrate, but in a way that invites the world to join in our celebration with eyes and hearts open to the living presence of Christ in the world. May we be part of the change in the lives of others that brings them to proclaim with a bombastic joy, HE IS RISEN INDEED! Amen

Jonathan Malone