Letting the Easter Light In

 

^36-41 While they were saying all this, Jesus appeared to them and said, “Peace be with you.” They thought they were seeing a ghost and were scared half to death. He continued with them, “Don’t be upset, and don’t let all these doubting questions take over. Look at my hands; look at my feet—it’s really me. Touch me. Look me over from head to toe. A ghost doesn’t have muscle and bone like this.” As he said this, he showed them his hands and feet. They still couldn’t believe what they were seeing. It was too much; it seemed too good to be true. ^41-43 He asked, “Do you have any food here?” They gave him a piece of leftover fish they had cooked. He took it and ate it right before their eyes.  ⁴⁴ Then he said, “Everything I told you while I was with you comes to this: All the things written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms have to be fulfilled.” ^45-49 He went on to open their understanding of the Word of God, showing them how to read their Bibles this way. He said, “You can see now how it is written that the Messiah suffers, rises from the dead on the third day, and then a total life-change through the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed in his name to all nations—starting from here, from Jerusalem! You’re the first to hear and see it. You’re the witnesses. What comes next is very important: I am sending what my Father promised to you, so stay here in the city until he arrives, until you’re equipped with power from on high.”

Sometimes scripture has such a wonderful turn of phrase that sits in my soul.  Verse 41 says, “While in the disciples joy they were disbelieving and still wondering.  Or from the Message translation above, “They still couldn’t believe what they were seeing.  It was too much; it seemed too good to be true.”

I want to invite this verse to simmer in your soul today.

Where do you find doubts creeping or crawling around your hearts?  I sometimes wonder how much progress have we made dismantling discrimination?  I wonder why the human heart has such compacity for hate.  I can doubt decisions I make personally or as a parent or professionally.  I can constantly question and find faults/flaws with what I think is the next faithful step.  Sometimes I have this internal dialogue between my mind and heart, where my heart wants to do one thing and my mind tells me all the reasons I should not – under any circumstance – do that!!

Maybe your find yourself doubting whether the Easter light is true or can be trusted.

Maybe you question who is God, Jesus, Spirit, or the purpose of a church community right now?

Maybe you are pondering how best to unfurl from the COVID cocoon and why the CDC still isn’t texting you every day telling you what is safe to do?

Now, shift to joy.  What brings you joy?  Where are you, to quote Howard Thurman, fully alive?  Where does your soul sing, “I could do this forever!”?  Where are you curious and want to know more about a certain topic (like the history of music or how to weave baskets) right now?

Let these questions stir and simmer and sit with them.  Take these questions for a walk around the block.  Come back to these questions at lunch and as you wind down, wrap up your day. 

May you find a joy holding hands with your doubts, each singing with each other in harmony about faith.