God’s presence can be seen in the ordinary and the material, and we do not have to wait for supernatural apparitions. THE ORDINARY TRANSFORMS TO THE EXTRAORDINARY.
The resurrected Jesus is the light that allows people to see things in their fullness. The intended effect of such a light is to see the spirit of Jesus everywhere else.
“A mature Christian sees the Spirit of Jesus Christ in everything and everyone else. That definition will never fail us, always demand more of us, and give us no reasons to fight, exclude or reject anyone”. (Richard Rohr)
A week after Jesus appeared to the Disciples (Thomas was not there the first time) they were again gathered in the house, this time Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said “Peace be with you”. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. “DO NOT DOUBT BUT BELIEVE.“ Thomas answered him, “MY LORD AND MY GOD!”
Verse 31: But these things are written so that you may come to believe, that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
Adapted from Richard Rohr, ” Easter Homily: Reality Moves Toward Resurrection,” March 27, 2016
The Resurrection of Jesus is no doubt the pinnacle of our Christian faith which we celebrate with joy, happiness and chocolate every year on Easter Sunday. However, over my faith journey, I have noticed that I have not received much education about the meaning of the Resurrection of Jesus. Have you noticed that too?
According to writer Richard Rohr, the Resurrection is not just a one-time miracle that proved Jesus was God. Jesus’ death and resurrection reveals what is happening everywhere and in all of time. Reality is always moving toward resurrection. This is the divine mystery of transformation which is fully evident across the entire universe. We see it in creation everyday as a new sun arises.
The resurrected Christ is thus revealed on Easter Sunday as the “promise,” and “guarantee” (Paul’s metaphors) of what is happening everywhere, all summed up in one person so we can see it in personified form.
Death for us is not just the death of the physical body, but all the times we hit rock bottom and must let go of how we thought life should be and surrender to God. In that sense, we all probably go through many deaths in our lifetime. These deaths in life are pivot points to choose transformation early. Unfortunately, most people turn bitter and look for someone to blame. But if we choose to walk through the valleys of the shadow of death – even the depths of our own sin, brokenness, and mistakes – we will come out the other side, knowing we’ve been taken there by God’s grace alone.
If we are to speak of miracles, the most miraculous thing of all is that God uses the very things that would normally destroy us – the tragic, sorrowful, painful, or unjust – to transform and enlighten us. We are therefore indestructible. There is no lasting death for us. This is what we mean when we say we are “saved by the death and resurrection of Jesus.”
So the words we will sing on Sunday are TRUE!
Thine be the glory Risen conquering Son Endless is the victory Thou o’er death has won
