2025-04-22 A Meditation on Shouting for Jesus

“20 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.” (John 20:1-10 ESV)

And all in the congregation let out a shout! So we greeted Resurrection morning. Yet it is anyone’s guess where in fact we live out our conscious days. Tendrils of Relationship, some former friend or companion lit up as our Go Zone, our Home Base, even a rare acquaintance only… there are no rare acquaintances in this game. We have gone far, with those who for a blessed season were with us. And so to that churchman’s Shout! How much, to what extent, is this Jesus we speak of, in fact our Go To and our Fulfillment of all things?

How much, we ask, even as to go through the motions, to line up on cue and proceed down the aisle to take the Sacrament, how much of this Registers, or Rings True, or Forms those unbreakable ties and bonds of affection? Isn’t it all, here in church, a little too “Forced”? As though we were pleading for some Truth to be found in what we call the Gospel?

No, the Gospel is in fact a blueprint, a suggestion of what one may find, for analyzing the rest of our lives together. Those simpler places where we live out our day, the taking in of a deep breath and going Elementary: going for the Elementary Lesson of Life in Christ, life Together, life Abundant. Insisting on it, as though screaming down a tyrant, is not quite our Modus Operandi. Rather, our Modus Operandi is just for once to begin to Dwell in and Embrace the defeat. It is to be conscientious of a war bigger than any of us, but one we are blessedly Called to even in this brief mortal sojourn, because Christ is the victor and we are better equipped, more Sanctioned, higher Capable, than we thought, all the while waiting as though bored for whatever tomorrow brings, until our dying day.

We teach that Elementary Lesson ad nauseum because for all the sophistication and days’ concerns of the would-be saint and prophet, there is Forgetfulness most divine, that calls us to sit at His feet and to Listen. Martha-like, Mary-like eventually. To have that intervening, intruding, undreamt-up Addition to the Equation of a God-voice, a God-lesson, a God-report from beyond His grave.

The Elementary Lesson… it is that God takes seriously every one of our hangups, remembers every one of our friendships, is unashamed of each and every one of our screw ups, faces squarely every and all crying shames in our life and bawling regrets. He intends to reward untold Recollection, Friendships recalled, with a one-day reunion, only it will be in a different form than we imagine. The people, they will hear nothing more from us than “That’s okay, I just wanted to know you were alive…” After all, do we have any more to say to those we’ve loved, those who have loved us? And post-grave, the voice of Jesus is that of a Person who has evaded Death and defeated the Final Enemy. Our “special time”, this can be at the church service while the pastor preaches. It can be in a loving walk in the park with a friend or family member. It can be in that good Morn we awake to with Positivity in our gait, Calm and Pleasantness in our mindset, Joy in our greetings and demeanor. All things suddenly seem worth celebrating. All things suddenly seem worth embracing and carrying forth into the Tomorrow.