Easter Day, April 1, 2018
Acts 10: 34-43, Psalm 118
1 Corinthians 15: 1-11
John 20: 1-18
St Thomas the Apostle
The Rev’d Joy A. Daley
When we began Holy Week we, unlike the friends of Jesus knew what we are headed for. We hesitated of course not wanting to go there but in spite of our reservations some of us did take the journey encouraged that even in the midst of darkness there was a sliver of a chance, of possibilities to come, of hope for new beginnings that have brought us to this glorious morning. Today the dark intensity of the past week is finally opened up and light shines through. (It may be grey outside but) We are bright with the realization that he lives, he appears and reappears as we will see in the coming weeks, bringing new life all along the way even when like those guys on the walk to Emmaus, we don’t realize it till after the fact as we look over our shoulders and see the transformation that has occurred.
I always think of butterflies this time of year how amazing it is that a small, worm-like creature is huddled in the cocoon where it seems like nothing is happening, but all the while slowly, transformation is taking place within that darkness, the darkness that looks like death until suddenly beautiful color and wings emerge that delight both children and adults with grace and beauty. So with butterflies on my mind I was enticed when I heard about a book titled a Box of Butterflies. It’s written by Roma Downey. You may or may not remember who she is, an actress that has a delightful Irish brogue and stared in that TV show quite a while ago now called Touched by an Angel. Now I almost didn’t order the book because I thought Maybe it will be kind of sappy sweet with that kind of writing that glosses over all the bad stuff in the world, saying that everything will be fine because God loves ya. And you know that kind of dismissing dark and gut wrenching pain just doesn’t cut it for me or probably any of us in this room who have lived a season or two. I think most of us here are Realists, Doubters like our patron who won’t settle for word of mouth stories or fantasy but will only consider miraculous claims if you first admit that it really is dark outside and there could actually be a monster or two under the bed. If we were to ask any of the few folks who were standing huddled together at the foot of the cross on Friday or anyone who has huddled around a hospital bed or waited for a loved one to be healed in mind, body or spirit they will be reserved in the face of miraculous claims, perhaps huddled in a cocoon of darkness like John and the Marys who didn’t see a way beyond or a way out on Friday but they were willing to be there and wait. They didn’t expect any transformation, butterflies or new beginnings. They were just trying to endure the pain without losing either their minds or their nerve or both. The real Easter Day began not with angels singing or butterflies floating. It began with confusion and even deeper loss because they thought, “Not only is he dead but now someone has stolen his body.” It takes more than a sunny day and a couple of angels or butterflies floating in the background to turn that disaster around. It takes Jesus himself to really be there. His friends were pretty doubtful of what was beyond the scene before them but they entered into the possibility, moving toward rather than running from the hope that there could be more, and we know that there was. That’s how I felt about the butterfly book. I had my doubts but I took the chance and ordered it anyway.
When the book arrived I opened it randomly. I found out it was the real deal and what I mean by that is that is addresses real pain and how that pain can be transformed, how new life can come even when you don’t expect anything good to ever happen again. Like those waiting for death at the cross and like the women going to the tomb. They went there that morning out of obligation not expectation. They had a job to do to tend to the body and they were there to do it. But the women and the other disciples got way more than they bargained for. That’s what this day, what the Resurrection is all about. The Resurrection power of God’s love to transform. It’s just God’s way to open us up to more than what is before us. You decide that all is lost because truthfully the evidence is right there in front of you and then a whole new chapter opens up, a brand new story begins, you remember what the resurrection is all about because it’s happened in your life a number of times already when we experience how life can open up.
In the Butterfly book Roma Downey shares some of her own pain of being a little girl whose mother died suddenly when she was only 11 and how she felt that hole in her life all along the way as she grew up. And then she got the job as an actress opposite Della Resse in that Angel show. An unlikely duo, a tough talking black singer from Detroit and a small soft spoken white woman from Ireland but they not only hit it off they developed a deep connection though they hadn’t met before. The internal 11 year old who was Roma was still longing for a mother and found the unconditional love that only a mother can give in Della Reese, this older woman who was so very different that she was. A few years later a new depth was given in their relationship through a loss that no one would have wanted when Della’s daughter suddenly died. She was distraught not knowing what to do or say only that she needed to get to the airport and be with the rest of her family. Roma went with her to the airport and flew home with her. The tables were turned as Della said “I don’t want to talk.” “That’s OK,” Roma said, “I won’t say a word.” “I’ll just be with you the whole way,” and she was, accompanying her on the flight and waiting with her until Della Reese was in the arms of her husband. Just a few months later the two women were walking on a beach together. Looking out on the beauty Della, who was still in deep grief over the loss of her daughter said, “God is wonderful isn’t he?” She went on to say to Roma, “God brought you into my life because you needed a mamma but I didn’t know He was bringing you into my life because I was going to need a baby girl.” Both women were grieving for what had been and who they were missing The pain was still there but now they had each other for comfort and hope. It reminds me of Jesus saying woman there is your son and to John there is your mother. Out of darkness comes new life in subtle sometimes shocking ways. Think of our own lives the times when relationships have ended or circumstances have changed and new paths open up or when illness comes and the love and kindness of people unfolds in blessings, in ways you never could have imagined. That is Jesus pulling us up from the grave into new ways of being. My favorite icon is the resurrection one showing Jesus trampling on the gravestones and yanking Adam and Eve out of the grave into new life. It is the image that reminds me what this day and our faith journey is really all about.
Peter and Paul tell us in our lessons today that we are witnesses of how this Jesus came into our reality, was anointed by the Holy Spirit and with power. How he went about doing good How they hung him on the tree but God raised him up on the third day and new life keeps coming out of death again and again and again because what looks like death has never been the last word and never will be the last word. On this day we ask O death where is your victory O death where is your sting Death is swallowed up by Christ in his glorious resurrection. The ordinary cocoon breaks open and what seemed like the end was really a beginning as pain was transformed into possibility, beauty and grace. And so on this day we proclaim our belief and our knowing of what is and what will always be. Alleluia Christ is Risen!
