The experience of sitting in the dark as we hear these stories of salvation history is an interesting one. It brings to mind the darkness in which we sit, so often, as we struggle to understand God. For me it brings to life the theme of my semester as I’ve dealt over an over again with God’s irrational love. God’s love doesn’t make sense. Over and over and over again God has tried to undo the break that occurred when humanity first flexed its free will muscles. Over and over and over again we have chosen to sit in darkness rather than see our blemishes in the light of God. Over and over and over again we have made God look the fool by ignoring his repeated attempts at bringing us back into relationship.
In Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Solomon, and the Prophets God acted out the insanity of his love for us. Over and over and over again risking disappointment, risking failure, risking ridicule to bring a Creation bred of love back into relationship. It makes no sense. Why does God keep trying?
And still to come in our liturgy is the ultimate nonsensical action of God. God took on human flesh. The Son of God, God the Son came and lived as one of us. The Son of God, God the Son died upon a cross taking on the full weight of all sin. Without the weight of sin upon our backs we are once again given the opportunity to be restored. The Son of God, God the Son rose this morning, defeating death, and making it possible for us to claim adoption into God’s family by belief in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, God the Son.
Why does God keep trying? Why, ultimately did God do this act that makes no sense? Why does God care so much? God loves us. God loves you unconditionally. God loves me unconditionally. God loves the annoying guy in traffic unconditionally. God makes no sense because God’s love is unconditional and given freely to all. God makes no sense because he used a very specific event to reveal this love to all people in all places across all time. Easter is for everyone as it reveals God’s love to everyone.
As believers we have a part in Easter. We play a role in revealing God’s love to all. We just finished praying that through the Church God might “let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection
by him through whom all things were made, Jesus Christ our Lord.” We prayed not that St. James’ might make this known. We prayed not that the Episcopal Church might make this known. Rather, we prayed that the whole Church, capital “C”, the Church universal, the Church catholic might work to make the redeeming love of God known to the whole world.
What an awesome responsibility; awesome in that it inspires an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, and fear, and awesome in that it remarkable, outstanding, and without match. As believers in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, as followers in the way of Jesus we are called upon to be the Church. To be the Church is to let the whole world know that God is doing a new thing; that God, in Jesus Christ, has done the ultimately nonsensical act in order that all might turn to him and be restored in right relationship. The story of Easter is a story of irrational unending love.
Today, we sing alleluia, literally Praise to Yahweh for the first time in 40 plus days. We do so in recognition of the love of God that surpasses even death. This love that is without limit is naturally foreign to us, so much so that we cry out in words foreign to us, ancient in origin, containing thousands of years of meaning within them. Alleluia, Christ is risen! Praise be to YHWH, the God of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Esther, Jacob, and Mary who without reason that we can comprehend descended to earth, lived as one of us, died upon a cross, and rose again to shatter death and bring us into eternal life. Alleluia indeed!
The story of Easter is a story for everyone. Throughout salvation history God has worked diligently to restore all of humanity back to right relationship with him. When it became apparent that humankind was too stiff necked he made special his relationship with Abraham and made his chosen people the people of Israel so that through them God’s grace might be made known in the entire world. When they, like all the rest, turned to themselves, to their own power and might, and forgot the blessing which God so freely offered, God took it upon himself to make known what so many before had forgotten. God wants us all to know his love. God offers his love to all of his Creation. There is no one outside of the reach of God’s love.
The story of Easter is a story we are meant to share. In coming to know God through a personal relationship with the risen Jesus we are given access to the greatest news of all. To hold that news and not share it is impossible. To be a follower of the way of Jesus and not have it written on your face, to not wear it on your sleeve, is impossible. The joy is too great. The hopefulness is too pervasive. The smile is too big. People will ask. We will need to share that “things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, God’s Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” This is the story of Easter; God’s irrational love that defeats death is available to all. This is the story we are called to share. Easter is for everybody. Amen!
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