Mark’s Gospel is the earliest. It tells of a rabbi who speaks of God in a way that made people believe they were beloved; of one with a caring touch that made sick people better and crazy people calm; of one so filled with God’s vision, that women were part of his inner circle and eating with traitors, cheats and those who had given up on life was the norm.
The death of this one who incarnated God’s goodness, who loved to the end, was devastating. Then the women came, and they ran away in fear. Where is the risen Christ?
The risen Christ was not at the tomb but going ahead of his friends. And that’s where we see him today: out ahead of us. Where charity and love prevail over injustice and violence; where compassion and hope replace cynicism and despair; where peace and love take root in lives that are empty and lost; where human beings know joy and justice, dignity and delight: there is the risen Christ, beckoning to us, living through us.
May your Easter celebration be one of renewal and renewed hope.
