With Fear and Great Joy

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. After the priests had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, “You must say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story is still told among the Jews to this day.
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. Matthew 28:1-16 

With Fear and Great Joy

This weeping will not leave me
to see mt friend die so creully
I am shattered to the very bone
we are sorrow and we are alone.

The horror of the tortured innocent
the cruelty of  our smug leadership
all the lost possibilities I wrap around me
as a shawl to protect me from the cold.

We make our way to that frozen garden
knowing we will not look on him again
they put soldiers there to guard the dead
who never raised a hand in violence.

There is light where there should be dark
the sleeping guards make no sound
we are greeted with light and emptiness
an angel bears the empty shroud.

The words are ringing in our ears
we run as if we were but small girls
laughter and crying mix and we bolt
to tell what we have seen this dawn.

We are not the chosen twelve and yet
we have been given the greatest story
we are chosen to carry the resurrection
this moment we have been made whole.