Looking on from the Distance

There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem. When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid. Mark 15:40-47

We were all looking on in stunned disbelief on September 11th in 2001. Most of us were far enough away to be safe, yet still permanently scarred from the events of that day. I grew up in NY just north of the city and several folks from my town never made it home. We remember where we were and what we were doing, and we remember how things changed for us for a time. We lived in Delaware at the time and near enough to Dover where some bodies and debris was brought to help identify those lost. Families came form around the country to live in motels and temporary housing to await any news and were there for months. Like the women and the disciples, it was an agonizing, scary time for them. We look back 22 years later and pray that we have learned compassion and understanding. 

Tender Creator, source of all mercy

you are always with those who grieve

whose lives have been changed forever

and you call us to be present for them now.

We want to forget and turn from the pain

we ache to go back to our normal lives

yet we know that everything has changed

and we are different, scarred and hurting.

Help us to rise to help those who grieve

let us be those whose compassion never ends

let us remember our fears and our terrors

working to love those who we do not understand. Amen