Stubborn or Determined this Easter Morning?

 

Empty Tomb -- George Richardson

Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. 

After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. 

Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table, and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.

                             Mark 16: 9-15 NRSVue 

This morning during worship at Trenton United I'll read the Resurrection story from Mark's gospel, almost certainly the first to be written. In a matter of a few verses we hear about encounters with the Risen Christ by Mary Magdalene, two followers of Jesus on the road (Emmaus?), then the eleven "stubborn" disciples.While it's a Good News  day from dawn to dusk even those disciples get a boot in the rear from Jesus to get out and tell the story to all creation. 

This sunny Easter morning in Southern Ontario I am mindful of Palestinian Christians in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem who will have a muted celebration. I hope that the negotiations in Egypt will result in the ceasefire so desparately needed, and the release of hostages.

I'm aware that four years ago Ruth and I went to a secluded spot on the Bay of Quinte and celebrated communion because places of worship were closed due to the COVID pandemic. It was an ominous time without much of a sense of where this plague would take us. 

Improbably, I've been thinking of King Charles III who as he addresses cancer chose to attend Easter worship as a reflection of his Christian faith. There are so many who live with the spectre of illness, loss and grief today, some of whom are affirming their faith through their tears.  

Easter doesn't make the world shiny and happy, without sorrow or strife. It is still Good News worth sharing and while we don't want to be labelled as stubborn we can be determined to proclaim that Christ is Risen.