This past Sunday was Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of the Christian Lord.
As a storyteller, I have always been fascinated with how the story on Saturday played out. On Friday, the hope that Jesus’ followers and disciples had was dead. Grief was heavy. A story that they had hoped would be everlasting had been finished. And they all were in hiding, afraid that what had happened to their leader would happen to them.
So when the women went to the tomb after the Sabbath had finished, intent on trying to push away the heavy stone that blocked their entrance and finish the work they could not do the Friday before, they were downtrodden. They were in the throes of their torment. They were scared. And all of those feelings turned to terror as they realized the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty…. or almost empty, as there were messengers from another world telling them to not be afraid and that Jesus was not there.
Do not be afraid.
Ha. I think I’d be terrified too.
But that terror turned to elation as they realized the story they though was done was continuing. There was hope for them yet. And Joanna, Mary Magdalene, James’ mother Mary and the other women ran to tell the others. But the others….. didn’t believe them. Whether they thought perhaps it was too good to be true, a crime of a stolen body, an idle tale made up by emotional women, or they just didn’t care because they were too deep in their own emotions remains to be seen.
And until they also saw, they weren’t willing to change their beliefs.
That part of the story is still true in this time as it was two millennia ago.
“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”
~ Brennan Manning
In a world where sixty dollar Bibles are being touted to raise funds for political means and a series of laws are being passed to ostracize the very classes of people that Jesus actively sought out in his ministry according to those Bibles, it seems those that follow Christ are still unwilling to change their beliefs. The tales of “He is risen” still are idle tales, seemingly made up by emotional people and falling on ears that are deaf, even as the lips reply “He is risen indeed!”
Hope seems like it has ended still.
The story seems finite and finished.
The darkness still feels heavy.
And what has happened is still happening and could be happening, if only we look to see it.
Because despite what the unbelieving world sees, the story is still there. It still has magic left. It still has people who might not have seen and yet still sing the hallelujahs. It still has people working to be the change, the joy, the hope, the love and the peace that should be there. It still has people opening arms and welcoming the groups society wants to see ostracized… all while hoping to embrace even those who ostracize them.
Can we be willing to be the change? Can we change our beliefs to align more with those of whom we follow? After all….
The love remains.
The hope shines.
The joy abounds.
The peace blossoms.
And the story is still there, growing as it continues to share.
Stay magical, friends.
Keep writing.
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K. S. Wood Writes 
He is risen….alleluia!
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