Today we celebrate the Easter season on this 4th Sunday after the Resurrection. And an “enthusiastic” Sunday School teacher once asked her class of 4 year olds this question: Does anyone know what makes Easter so special? Quickly, a little girl raised her hand and responded, ‘Yes, because Jesus rose from the grave.’ But before the teacher could congratulate her, the little girl added, ‘And if he doesn’t see his shadow, he has to go back in for 7 more weeks.’”
Now we have many questions at all ages about our faith, not to mention about our political, social, healthcare, and economic systems. Drama and suspense have been playing out in our news for many weeks, in fact for many years. Even today, I wondered in my own little drama if Mike would be available to preach this morning. My emotions, like the stock market, have gone up and down with various events.
While I believe that life is a blessing and a precious gift from God, at times like these, it can seem like an ordeal. I want the groundhog days of violence, controversy, pandemics, and conflict to be over. Shedding my winter blues like the COVID virus, I want sunlight, fresh air, puppy dogs, and butterflies to fill my days. I don’t think I’m alone in my desire for some answers to the suspense in our lives. Like most, I want good resolutions to our conflicts. I want justice and peace without controversy. I want health care for all. And please, no more drama.
“How long will you keep us in suspense?” they asked Jesus as he walked in the temple. Drama was just as prevalent then as it is now. Whether in real life or in fiction, drama often reveals our issues, our concerns, and expresses the heights and depths of our emotions. Occasionally, we will ask the courts to help us. And on this cultural holiday we call Mother’s day, the possible Supreme Court opinion on Roe vs. Wade hangs in the air. The courts of public opinion have been very loud.
Who will save us from the wages of sin and death, from war and violence, we wonder? “How long will you keep us in suspense?” the Jews asked Jesus. “If you are the Messiah, then tell us plainly.” Like us today, they also wanted some answers, an end to the drama in their divided country, and some hope for their days to come.
On my refrigerator door there is a magnet that repeats the words of Winston Churchill, “Never, never, never give up!” Now I’m not sure that these words are always the best course of action in some circumstances, but I do believe they offer us wise counsel for our faith journeys. These words have been incarnated by the Ukrainian people in general and their president in particular. They are words that echo throughout our scripture stories, giving us hope for our future, and encouragement for our lives.
We all find various ways to manage the suspense of our own unfolding dramas; and my husband and I choose very different movies and activities for the very same reasons. We both want to know that the good guys will win in the end, and that the Celtics will win the NBA title. We want the economy to boom, our lives to have meaning, and certain people to sit down and be quiet. Present company excluded.
Whereas my husband Paul can watch the drama of these events unfold; I cannot. Truth be told, I don’t like suspense, so I often choose movies and books that I know will have happy endings. I want that blessed assurance that everything turns out alright. I want the joy of the Easter season to last forever; and today’s passage from Revelation tells me that it will.
I remember a retreat that I attended called “Waiting in the Dark” that Brother Luke offered at SSJE. In the silence, the noise around me and inside of me became hushed for a little while, and I could hear God’s voice in that echo chamber. Brother Luke gave us some clay and invited us to pray without words. “When it is hard to pray, it is a way to quiet the mind, a way to let go and be surprised, a way to listen to God with our bodies,” Brother Luke said.
Alone in my room, I put down my monkey mind and picked up the clay. At first, I felt the strong resistance of my will. The clay was cold and hard to manipulate; pieces broke and crumbled in my palm. I began to slowly restore the clay, patching it back together into one piece. Then angrily I pounded the clay to flatten it, realizing how the weight of sin and sickness, sorrow and suffering, death and dark times can take the fizz out of our souls, the sparkle out of our eyes, and the bounce out of our steps.
Next, rolling my pancake of clay into various sizes and shapes, I felt my spirit soften in the hands of God. I laughed at the images I created. There were trumpets and basketballs. There were Easter eggs and Mothers’ day flowers. Joy and light began to seep back into the cracks in my soul. This is creation and re-creation, I thought to myself, remembering that I am a clay vessel in the hands of God, whose breath of life-giving spirit I have received. Eventually filled with a peace that surpasses all understanding, I put the clay back into the little baggie and wiped my hands clean.
Saint Francois de Sales reminded me, “Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life; rather look to them with hope, that as they arise, God, whose very own you are, will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand it, God will carry you in His arms.” Like the Good Shepherd who left 99 sheep to find the one that was lost, God will find us, toss us over God’s shoulders, and carry us home.
Charles Swindoll once wrote, “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, money, circumstances, failures, successes, and what other people think or do. Attitude will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is that we have a choice every day regarding the attitude that we will embrace.”
We can hold attitudes of gratitude every day; and our Scripture stories remind us that we have a good shepherd who will lead us beside still waters to green pastures and will guide us along right pathways. We can walk with childlike steps as people who trust in the promises and power of God. With generations of people who have come before us and who will live long after us, we can affirm our faith in our God who creates, sustains, and saves us.
Resurrection begins not only with a capital “R” but also with lower case “r’s”. They are like green sprouts that break through the ground of our beings, as clearly as the flowers that are blooming right now. We can sing Easter songs of hope, offer words of love to one another, and provide simple acts of kindness as people of resurrection faith.
Repeatedly, Jesus reminds us, “Do not be afraid. I am with you always, even to the end of the ages. I will give you eternal life, and you will never perish. And no one will snatch you out of my hand.” Yes, we know that death will eventually come for us all, but how we choose to live today is quite another matter. We can live faithfully, indeed even fearlessly, and never give up.
"How long will you keep us in suspense?” they asked Jesus. “If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” The answer lies in the last book of the Bible. "Who are these that are robed in white, and where have they come from?" the elders wondered. And John answered, they are those “who have come out of the great ordeal” from all nations, tribes, peoples, and languages.
Indeed, they are each and every one of us, for the Lamb at the center of the throne is our Good Shepherd, and he will guide us to the “springs of the water of eternal life and revive our souls. Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb forever and ever. Amen.”
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