Alas, my chocolate bunny’s been eaten, beginning with the ears, of course. And the fake grass and old pysanki have been put away until next year. Did it matter? What Now, says the Church. Readings for this coming Sunday of Easter deal with how things have changed with the unfolding Kingdom of God, with the renewed power found among disciples both early and contemporary. Is there life after the re-discovery of God’s Christ? Have there been any changes in attitude or hope?
The first reading is not from the Old Testament, but from the Book of the ACTS of the Apostles, 4:32-35. George Bryant Wirth has identified two post-Easter themes: Unity in the midst of diversity; and generosity in the midst of poverty. How can these things be possible except by the visitation of the Holy Spirit? Do we now identify with all others, ALL others? Wirth quotes Solzhenitsyn, “The line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.” While Christians should be exempt from sin, we continue to do so. BUT “With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.” Message for today: bring on the grace and revel in it!
The Epistle is read from I JOHN 1:1-10: the resurrection urges us to walk in the light. This author once published a workbook called “Light from Darkness: Preaching the Gospel of John.” In it we tried to lift up the active love displayed by God to all the world, recognizing the blackness of separation/sin, but affirming that Jesus keeps bringing Light strong enough to overcome such Dark. The world keeps stumbling on, and many will despair of the Easter message ever breaking through. George W. Stroup reminds us that good intentions often fall flat–and yet “Christians who live in communion with God need not deny that they are sinners, or pretend that shadows do not continue to fall across their journey to the light.” (FEASTING on the WORD, B 2:398) So “we declare to you the eternal life [beginning now] that was with the Father…”
The Gospel is that of JOHN 20:19-31, immediately following the Easter narrative. You probably know well the honest questions of Thomas, unfairly called “Doubting”. But this isn’t really HIS story, as much as it is of the remaining Disciples–and us today. You see, God comes to us where we are, locked doors and all! “It isn’t easy to live into the reality of Easter”, says Gail O’Day (ibid., 403) “Jesus comes again and again to those scared and confused disciples….The point is Jesus’ offer of himself, over and over again…” People empowered by this breathed Holy Spirit are equipped, even today, to bear news of God’s interaction to those still enjoying Darkness.
Many congregations within this benighted Church still hide behind locked doors, away from politics and poverty, away from militarism and racism. But the Christ appears among us, not allowing doors to hide us from Grace. His message for the world is that the Kingdom has come near us, even if we don’t see it; and that God continues to love us, wherever we are on the Journey.
In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King
Please join us every Tuesday to be challenged by the lessons to be read during worship on the upcoming weekend; at horacebrownking.com
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