It'll Be All Over in the Morning

Thursday morning, a gentleman approached my desk and asked how I was doing. His next question was, "Busy week?" Well, I work at a church, so that's a fair question seeing as it was Holy Week. I answered, "Yes," and his response was, "It'll all be over on Monday."

I know his point was that, Easter is Sunday and the week would be behind us and the "busy-ness" would be over. But will it?

Isn't the whole point of Easter, that things don't have to end? Don't we take the time to celebrate - not just Jesus' death, which is a great and significant event in the history of our world - but also, and perhaps more importantly, His resurrection?

Let's suppose, just for argument's sake, that the resurrection details were omitted from the Bible.

So we would have the story of Jesus's birth. We would have His challenging of authority as a young child. We would have His miracles and acts of faith. We would have the stories of the folks who chose to follow Him along the way. We would have His tempation in the garden, His last meal, His last walk, and His scoundrel's death. And what if that were the end of the story?

What if we read stories of this great man and all His great works, but at the end of the story, He dies just like the rest of us. Would that make Him any less a role model? Would that make Him any less admirable? Would that make his contribution to history or to the world any less significant? Perhaps in some ways, no.

Oh, but since we have the benefit of seeing all of that stuff and added to that, His absence from the sealed grave and His reappearance to those who watched Him die - doesn't that make knowing Him that much better?


Isn't it awesome to know that death doesn't have to be the end?


In the opening paragraph of Sue Monk Kid's book, Dance of the Dissident Daughter, she asks the question, "Once you wake up, can you wake up again?"


It's much the same question as - how many lives can you have? Can you be born again? Can you be resurrected from death?


I know you can think back over your life to a place where something (perhaps everything) was falling apart. Well, I can speak for me - I can look back over my life at places where things - all things - seemed to be falling apart.


Did it seem perhaps that there were those in the background plotting your demise? Was there anyone in your immediate circle of friends who betrayed you? Did you feel like, all the way, there were folks mocking you? Was there a Simon of Cyrene in your life who could not take the death from you, but at least helped you carry the load? How about a Joseph of Armithea - a silent, behind the scenes cheerleader who wanted to care for you after your struggle had ended and it seemed all hope was lost?


And let's not forget the Marys - watching, praying, praying and watching - all the while continuing to believe when everyone else has left.


How great then, to rise from the dead and appear to all those who watched as you walked slowly to your death and watched as you died and mourned your death. How great that Jesus lived that example for us. How great that is doesn't have to be all over in the morning. How great that in the morning - on the third morning - or the 185th morning it can be just beginning.


And the people of God said, "Wow."


I realized just recently that one of my least favorite phrases is, "Well, we used to . . ." This seems to be the beginning of the sentence anytime you make changes that affect a body and the changes don't have the desired affect. I've found that that phrase usually comes from someone who was doubtful of the change in the first place.


Newsflash - things change. And just because the change you made didn't work, doesn't necessarily mean you have to go back to what "we used to" do. Try something else.


The same is true for people. Particularly true for people who have made a major comeback. There will be certain people who will try you. There will be Thomas' in your life who have to poke the places where you were poked before they believe it's a new you - risen - "Show me the wounds." Showing the wounds does not mean you have to open them. No need to bleed again to prove there was a pain. Eight days had passed when Jesus visited the disciples and Thomas stood with them. These were not fresh wounds that Thomas was allowed to touch.


Give yourself the time and the space necessary to heal. Although Mary was excited, being the first to see Jesus, His instruction to her was "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet Ascended to My Father. . . " (John 20:17)


Even Jesus had to spend some time with God the Father after defeating death.


So as we grow, and change and live and died and are resurrected - we have to spend time with God the Father. And once we have, we can and must be willing to share that experience with those whom we encounter - especially those who were there when we died - especially those who doubt.