Resurrection Life

This post is by Rev. Dr. Liza Klein, San Rafael First UMC:

Christ is Risen! Or, at least in the experience of Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Mary the mother of James on that first morning, the tomb is empty, and two men, or angels, are there to tell them Christ is risen. The women return to the 11 apostles and the others in the upper room. But to the apostles, their words, “seemed to them an idle tale.”

If he is the Messiah, why does life seem the same to them? The disciples huddle in fear behind locked doors. Even though Jesus had told them before he died that he would rise on the third day, the shock of Jesus’ crucifixion was too great for the disciples to know anything beyond their fear and confusion. Resurrection is a hard thing to comprehend, though in the Bible we are told that Lazarus had already been brought back from the dead, and the disciples had seen him, so that is not the only issue for them. They must have been confused about the issue of power, for the Messiah in Jewish tradition is one who will come with power to uplift the Jewish people from domination to independence.

If he is risen, why does life seem the same to us? It is usual for us to live out our faith in a place of unknowing. We have not seen Lazarus or Jesus risen. We plod ahead day-by-day, step-by-step, not expecting change, trying to keep our lives together, not expecting anything radically new to happen.

Easter with its enthusiasm and joy is an invitation to a deeper experience of God, to a stronger connection with God, other human beings and all of creation.

You are invited to experiment with resurrection living: Suspend your disbelief. Put aside your practical atheism.

“The Christ [who knocks] at that door has the power to change us on the inside, in the inwardness of our soul. We share who we are with him, and he shares with us who he is. This is the nature of God. His intentions become ours, and we become one with the totality of creation. This is something we could not ourselves achieve. Open the door.” (N. Gordon Cosby, “Believing the Big Story,” in Conspire, March 2013).

Our human response to trouble is often to huddle, to be numbed, to despair. To be resurrected from terrible life experiences, we must find a way to open our minds and our hearts enough to let God in. To be resurrected, we must be willing to let go of the past, knowing that a better past is not possible, and to open to the possibility of new life, of a future with hope, for us. Commitment to a spiritual community and our own spiritual formation is critical to move beyond the cultural norm of personal prowess and achievement and to trust your life to God, and to live your life deeply with others.

This is not an idle tale! Resurrection living means that we live free from fear of death, physical death, or the metaphorical deaths of failure, loss, sickness, and other human struggles. Do not be afraid! Come, live in the light, shine with the joy and the love of the Lord, for He is Risen, and draws near.