FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT
April 16th, 2006 – Easter Sunday
Shadell Permanand
Texts:
Acts 10: 34-43
Psalm 118:1-2; 14-24
John 20: 1-18
Introduction
“This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it” – and I am glad! I’m very glad we’ve finally reached Easter Sunday. It does my soul good! It feels as though I have been waiting and hoping for this Easter Sunday to arrive since Advent began. A veil has been lifted. This is the day we celebrate the risen Christ, and the resurrection as a symbol that we experience in our every day lives and spiritual journeys. This is the day we celebrate transformation and new life.
How do we experience this transformation in our lives, especially with the shadow of Good Friday, or death, behind us? Part of the bittersweet aspect of the resurrection is the death, be it literal or symbolic, that comes before it. Today I will be reflecting on three aspects that are important to understanding the significance of Easter Sunday. 1) when it was still dark – the shadow of death, 2) when it became light – the joy of the resurrection and transformation, and 3) what does it mean – how do we experience the death and resurrection in our own lives?
The thanksgiving Psalm 118 serves more as an introduction and conclusion to this journey through death, resurrection and application to our own lives. John will be the main passage I reflect on, paralleling it to a relevant story in our present time.
While it was still dark
Throughout Advent, Christmas, Lent and now Easter, it has been the work of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) that has occupied my thoughts. It was at the beginning of Advent when four Peacemakers from CPT were taken hostage. I remember being rudely awakened from my self-protective apathy, at the terrible discovery that I knew one of the hostages – Jim Loney. My maternal instincts, being especially high in pregnancy, took over. I imagined what his parents and loved ones were going through. I imagined the despair that must have filled them, and the hope that probably kept them going. In the gospel of John, I am moved too by Mary’s despair. She emulates the fear, pain and despair that the disciples of Jesus must have felt when he was taken from them and killed.
I resonate with Mary on this, what is at first, a terrible Easter morning. She finds the empty tomb and runs to Simon Peter and another disciple to tell them that Jesus has been taken somewhere. Upon investigation, they believe Mary, and presumably return, dejected, to their homes. But Mary stays by the tomb, weeping. Mary is not moved from her despair even with the presence of two angels. Even when Jesus speaks to her, she does not recognize him. She is so overcome with grief and loss that she is blind to the truth. Beyond faith and hope, Mary is driven by her love for Jesus. The irony of this situation is heart-wrenching; Jesus had loved her in her sin, and she would love him in his death. Mary is dutiful, inconsolable and loving.
CPT has recently been through a dark period. They are a Christian organization that offers an organized, nonviolent alternative to war and other forms of lethal inter-group conflict. CPT provides organizational support to persons committed to faith-based nonviolent alternatives in situations where lethal conflict is an immediate reality or is supported by public policy. CPT seeks to enlist the response of the whole church in conscientious objection to war, and in the development of nonviolent institutions, skills and training for intervention in conflict situations. This group is about radical peacemaking inspired by the life and ministry of Jesus.
When this hostage situation began, I was shocked to discover that Jim Loney was one of the four CPTers taken into captivity. I first met Jim in 1996 and was inspired by his involvement with the local Catholic Worker. At a time when I was contemplating ministry, while also having serious concerns about my involvement in a church community that was exclusive to many people, I was struggling with a “should I stay or go?” angst about my church involvement. Jim’s story inspired me to stay connected with the church, and gave me hope that change is possible. Later, in 1998, Jim became a volunteer mediator at my organization where he co-facilitated victim/offender dialogue. More recently, I did some work for CPT and Jim was my main contact. Jim was always an inspiring individual.
The Christmas Season was turned on its head for me this past year. I could hardly bring myself to celebrate the birth of the beloved Jesus in infant form, because the picture of the Passion and death overcame my thoughts. As I learned more about Jim’s powerful witness of love, humanity and peace, I thought to myself, “Here’s a guy who is living out Jesus’ model of non-violence and justice” and this caused me to wonder and rage about how it was that someone like Jim, who emulated Christ, in the way that I imagine Christ, could somehow become a sacrificial lamb. CPT, Jim, the other hostages and all the families were in my daily thoughts and prayers. At moments, I felt hopeful, at other times I was skeptical of a positive outcome.
In February, when another video of the hostages was released, Tom Fox was ominously missing. This frightened me immensely, and I imagined the worse. This was confirmed in March when his body was found. What a tragic and awful thing! The only solace I could find was that he died for something he believed in – peace and justice. And the world had come to know his mission, beliefs, and the organization he worked for. “But what of the other hostages?” I wondered. I continued to pray, and hope and fear for the worst…
When it became light –
It is interesting to note that the resurrection is never actually described in the gospels. Instead, we have accounts of the death, and appearances of the risen Christ. Yet resurrection has become an important word we use in relation to our annual Easter celebration. I was curious about how resurrection is defined in the dictionary. According to one, resurrection is:
1. The act of rising from the dead or returning to life.
2. The state of one who has returned to life.
3. The act of bringing back to practice, notice, or use; revival.
With this in mind I will continue this CPT story. Miraculously, news came of the release of the remaining three captives. They were alive and relatively well. I was so relieved. I imagine that CPT and the families and supporters were absolutely joyful at this news. This was just incredible. Even with the shadow of Tom Fox’s tragic death, and some of the negative criticism of the mainstream media, the joy of this news could not be squelched. The beauty of this resurrection, of 3 men, and the resurrection of the way of peace, was simply amazing for the bystanders, supporters and many others around the world. Not only that, but people were united in a call for peace and justice in Iraq. In many ways, these 4 CPTers are heroes. Radical models of Christ’s call to non-violence and justice. I commend CPT, and other organizations and individuals who are committed to building peace at individual, familial, local, national, international and global levels. And I am thankful for the resurrection of peace in our consciousness, and hope that our thoughts and actions may be transformed and inspired by these kinds of events. This story seems to follow the same cycle, death and resurrection, as the Passion-Easter story did many centuries ago.
Easter remembers that there was an even greater event, a greater resurrection. Sp, let’s return to John for a moment. The disciples have left the tomb, convinced that Jesus was taken. Mary remains. Weeping for her Lord and hoping to find him so she can anoint his body. So distraught, not even the angels can stir her. Even when Jesus speaks to her, she thinks he is the gardener. She is intent on finding where they took Jesus. It is only when Jesus speaks her name that she recognizes him and she believes. Jesus instructs her to go to the disciples and tell them that he is returning to the Father.
I can hardly imagine being Mary at that moment. When she thought all was lost, all had become transformed. Jesus had risen! The bible does not really describe her reaction, but I imagine her tears of grief, turned to tears of joy. I imagine the relief, the wonder, the confusion, the appreciation and thankfulness to God. I’m sure Mary runs to tell the others what she has seen. To tell them of the unbelievable – Jesus is alive! He was then the risen Christ that we celebrate today. Two thousands years separate the events recalled on that day and yet we still remember and celebrate. Faith is what removes the distance from that day and today. Faith in the risen Christ, in the resurrection. Faith in the resurrection of peace, faith, hope and love. But what does this mean for us, here and now?
What does it mean? How do we experience resurrection in our own lives:
All of us have experienced challenges and trials in our lives. For some of us, it has been experiencing death and loss in its literal sense. For others it has been a traumatic event, a dysfunctional or abusive relationship. Others have experienced death in a more symbolic sense; the death of a relationship, of a dream, of our spiritual being. For some of us, these experiences have been sources of creating greater strength within ourselves. Others may still be in the grieving stages of our situations. Even if the resurrection is shadowed by death, even if it seems impossible, it is today that we celebrate the resurrection, the hope of resurrection. It is the possibility of resurrection that the Easter story brings to us that is so compelling.
Death is part of the life cycle, be it literal or symbolic. We cannot avoid it. But we can know that resurrection is also part of the life cycle. How do we ensure that we are not overcome with the death part of this life cycle? We must have faith in the resurrection. Have faith that transformation will occur. Transformation must be actualized in our lives through our experiences of death and resurrection.
One of my favorite writers is Kahlil Gibran. His poetic piece on joy and sorrow from his book “The Prophet” talks about the interconnectedness of the two. For me, the experience of joy and sorrow are closely related to the death and resurrection.
Then a woman said, Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow.
And he answered:
Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be? The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is it not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed out with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
Some of you Say, “Joy is greater than sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, sorrow is the greater”
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember the other is asleep on your bed.
Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
Only when you are empty are you at a standstill and balanced.
When the treasure -keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.
And as Kahlil Gibran so eloquently says, “The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain. ” One is not complete without the other. And there is something reassuring about the fact that this cycle has occurred as long as humanity has been in existence.
Conclusion: Life “overcomes” Death
Today is Easter. Today is the day we celebrate the risen Christ. And is it just resurrection we celebrate, literal or symbolic? There is more to the story. Jesus Christ came to us with a message. This message was about faith, hope and love. Peace-making is inherent in my understanding of love. We are called to follow in Jesus’ example. We can do this as individuals, families, communities and organizations. Let us be inspired by the life and death and resurrection of Jesus, and those in our present time who aim to follow inhis steps.
From the waiting in advent, to the birth of Jesus, to the preparation of lent, through the passion and the resurrection, we have a story that compels us to believe. Let us be reassured and transformed by the resurrection. Let us be the church as we experience joy and sorrow, or death and resurrection. Let us be held together by our faith and our love for one another. We can be transformed! This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.