Easter Day 2010

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They 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." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, `I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" John 20:10-16

The woman came out early. She was the worst of the worst. An outcast from society - a scourge on good, faithful people. Her kind were not wanted in the shops or restaurants. Her kind wasn't wanted anywhere. And yet it was to the lowliest of lowly, a woman scorned and rejected who God chose to reveal the greatest miracle of all time - Jesus resurrected, Jesus having conquered death and sin. She was the first one to tell the story. Mary and the other women. God chose the least among them to hear the good news first hand, in the flesh. God transforming the worst among us into the holy messenger, the herald for all ages.

Today, the story tells itself. Today, Jesus is risen and we are invited to let God's light into our darkness, God's love into our most rejected places, our most hidden selves. We are invited to new life a place where darkness and death have no hold at all.

I offer today a simple song from my childhood that brings Easter home for me.

"I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore
Very deeply stained within,sinking to rise no more.
But the master of the sea, heard my despairing cry,
from the waters lifted me, now safe am I.
Love lifted me, love lifted me,
when nothing else could help love lifted me.
Love lifted me, love lifted me,
when nothing else could help, love lifted me."

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

A Blessed Easter to one and all!