Scripture:
Acts 14:19-28
John 14:27-31a
Reflection:
Easter seems a distant memory as our lives returned to regular routines of work, family life, and school. I have to remind myself that we are still in “the Easter Season,” a time when we are still trying to figure out what the Resurrection of Jesus means for us today.
A favorite line from the Resurrection narratives in the Gospels is when the angel at the empty tomb asks, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” It is such a great question, and one that always seems to stump me. Why do I so often hang out at the empty tombs of my life?
It helps that all around me trees are budding and crocuses are emerging from once frozen earth. The amazing – seemingly miraculous – reemergence of life all around beckons me to ask where else in my life is there new life and why do I spend so much time looking for life amidst the dead.
What books do I read? What news do I watch? With whom do I spend my time? How do I use my free time? The angel tells the women at the tomb that they will find Jesus in Galilee. They have to go find him. They are going to have to find him out there. In life. In work. In family. Not in the tomb or those places in our lives that are lifeless.
The tone of our public discourse, reports of growing despair and suicide rates, and incessant occurrences of senseless violence remind us that we are still in the Easter Season. We still need to learn what the Resurrection means for us and where we are called to find new life with the Risen Lord. One thing we do know, it’s not in an empty tomb.
Robert Hotz is a consultant with American City Bureau, Inc. and is the Director of The Passion of Christ: The Love That Compels Campaign for Holy Cross Province.