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For They Were Afraid

 The Gospel of Mark starts with Jesus' baptism, there is no birthday story, no background, just jumps right in with his baptism, driven into the wilderness to be tempted, proclaims, "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand." Plucks Simon and Andrew up which they mend their fishing nets, heals Simon Peter's mother-in-law and she immediately gets up and serves them. (How many times does Mark use immediately?) And the next morning gets up early and while everyone is searching for him, he is heading to the next town. It is like a big movie opening that grabs everyone's attention and it doesn't slow down. 

Did you ever watch Monty Python and the Search for the Holy Grail? There was to be this final battle of King Arthur with his forces and the God's blessing and just as the battle commences, modern police show up and arrest everyone and the movie is over and we are left scratching out head, "What just happened?" The end of Mark is just as confusing, for we read the original final eight verses of the Gospel. Three women, waiting for sunlight, finds the stone rolled away and a young man dressed in white sitting where Jesus' body should be and told not to be afraid, but go and tell the disciples that Jesus is risen and going ahead of them to Galilee. They leave, they flee, the get the "H-E-double hockey sticks" out of there. And they don't say anything to anyone, not a single word, not a peep, because they are afraid. End of Story! Two other communities or writers added to it eventually because they needed more. 

But let's stay with this story, this gospel. The writers and the hearers didn't believe that was the end. How could it be, because we are hearing it so somebody must have said something eventually, right? This gospel was written about 30 years after these events taking place. The writer or writers didn't think they needed more than Jesus predictions of his death and resurrection and the word of the three women who was told by the messenger, maybe an angel. Even though it abruptly cuts off with no explanation, Mark's gospel story sustained the early Christians and inspired others to share the story of Jesus and of God's love. 

We can all relate to being afraid at times or all the time, and unsure and wondering if this is the end. Can we relate to having the story unfinished but still buying into it? Whether we are talking about Jesus' resurrection, Jesus second coming, or universal healthcare which someone mentioned at our Maundy Thursday Supper about what would like coming kingdom would look like. Do we have a strong enough faith to believe in the goodness of this world and creation? Do we have enough hope not just that the world can get better, but will get better? Do we have enough love for God, the world, our neighbors, and even those who may consider us their enemies? Faith, hope, and love will remain, Paul the Apostle tells us, and the greatest of these is love.

God is good! (All the time!) All the time! (God is good!) We are here because there is something more than bad news in our world, in our future, and he who dies with the most money wins. We are here because we believe in Spring and life comes back. We are here because we have found some connection, some community that helps us get up and move forward. There is a God of love, whose image, every person in this world is created from. Each and everyone a miracle and blessing. We are here because we have found in Christ, in his teachings, in the healings and miracles, in the death and resurrection, and in the ongoing covenant through the body of Christ, the church, love, grace, and a call to do justice. 

On this Easter Sunday, let us worship the Lord of Life, against whom the powers and principalities that divide the human race, oppress it, starve it, harm it and the world in which we live cannot and will not prevail. Amen?




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