The Empty Tomb

 

 

When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Jesus. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you." So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. Mark 16:1-8

 

 

The Empty Tomb

 

I have gone back over it and over it

rolling the pictures in my mind

shaking every time I think that we

found an empty tomb.

 

We felt an earthquake and the guards fled

leaving us to face this terror alone

we held each other close as we looked

inside the empty tomb.

 

The angel greeted us sweet and mild

we could not help but scream

sisters and mothers together in shock

at the sight on an empty tomb.

 

Hot tears, delight and fear took us

we have been able to speak or sing

unable to contain the joy we know

finding the empty tomb.

 

The world around us buzzes

a plot, a scheme imagined

we witnessed God's miraculous love

we found an empty tomb.

 

How do we live these days beyond?

how will we tell our story now?

We are they who ventured out early

and found an empty tomb.