An Easter-ing Faith

Art by Brenda Robinson

After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.  Matthew 28:1

 

So, here we are on the day after Easter.  The jellybeans are picked over; the ears of the chocolate bunny are gone; the Easter lily sitting on your counter filling your house with fragrance; the leftovers of dinner last night sit next to the eggs you colored/dyed in the refrigerator. 

 

What do you do today?

 

That question was the Mary Magdalene and the other Mary’s question who went to the tomb.  What do you do after you have cried all the tears you can amid the Good Fridays of life?  What do you do after you have tried your best to worship and utter the printed prayers?  What do you do after Easter that promises to change our life, but today looks suspiciously like last Monday?

 

We don’t know why the two Marys went to the tomb.  In other gospels, the women carry spices to anoint/prepare Jesus’ body in death.  They have a purpose and plan, which we all love so much.  But here we are told Mary and Mary wanted to see the tomb.

 

Maybe wanted to see if Jesus’ death was real, or just some nightmare.  Maybe wanted to see if the sermons Jesus preached about resurrection might possibly be true.  Maybe they didn’t even have a great reason or rational, but the anxiety and sorrow and pain in their bodies created energy that had to escape somehow, somewhere so they went to the tomb. 

 

Why do we do what we do today?

 

For me, Easter is not just a day or a season, Easter is a way of life.  Easter is not some churchy celebration that we can now get past, Easter is a verb ~ a way to be ~ that is open and curious and wants to see what God is up to in the world today. 

 

Perhaps Easter should not be a noun and more Easter-ing as a verb ~ which I totally realize is NEVER going to trend on social media or be included in the dictionary.  An Easter-ing faith will cause us not just to celebrate but be willing to go to the tombs that are still part of life today.  Tomb where we won’t immediately make a difference or impact, where maybe we have no influence whatsoever ~ because the two Marys certainly didn’t have power or position ~ but they went anyway.  Easter-ing faith asks us to go…go to the places and spaces and people who are outside the safe walls of life…venture into the places where the powers that be keep guard…and we show up ~ because God is already there. 

 

Play with that word, “Easter-ing” with me this week.  Take time today to describe and define how Easter can actively be part of who you are and what you do.  Embrace and embody this way of being in the world today.  And come back tomorrow to keep finding ways to Easter your faith this year.  Amen.