Dear Friends,
Mark 16:1–8
1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Happy Easter to you. It is our prayer that each of us may hear and experience the Easter message that the angel of God continues to proclaim: “He has been raised; he is not here (Mark 16:6).” Jesus is no longer in the tomb, and he will not be found there. It is also our sacred task to proclaim and live out the Easter message that Jesus is not in the tomb. The tomb represents what brings or leads us to death: refusal to listen and understand, bigotry, pride, intolerance, hatred, resentment, endless fear, and worries. The tomb represents the place of failure, disappointment, regret, and despair.
The question the Easter story presents to us is this: “Where are you today? Are you willing to come out of the tomb and take a step toward the Risen Christ who is waiting to be found by us?” May God, who has raised Jesus from the tomb, help us to rise above our death. Our prayers for each member of our community, as well as everyone in the suffering world, continue. Please expand our prayers by joining us.
—Rev. Chuck Moon
A version of this message appeared in the Saturday, March 30, 2024, edition of Tidbits.