In today’s homily, I would like us to memorize two sentences from the gospel lesson this morning. They’re printed on the cover page of the bulletin: “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is risen.” We’ll add the conjunction, “because” between those sentences so it will be: “Why do you look for the living among the dead? Because he is risen.” If there’s one thing I would like you to take away from my message, it’s these sentences that you can use as a reminder of hope, especially when you feel discouraged.
Though the angels in the lesson ask the question of why the women look for the living among the dead in order to tell them Jesus is not there but is risen, we at times do need to look for the living among the dead to say Christ is risen. This is to look for hope in despair. This is to create something good in people who are unlikeable. This is to see the light in the darkness. So when someone asks us why we look for the living among the dead, our answer is, “It’s because Christ is risen.” The hope of the resurrection derives from the resilience of Christ who endures all things. We Christians are paradoxically called to look for the living among the dead after all. In this act of searching, we may become the living among the dead. We may become the hope itself in despair. I came across a powerful quote that captures the attitude of the resurrection: “Be the person who breaks the cycle. If you were judged, choose understanding. If you were rejected, choose acceptance. If you were shamed, choose compassion. Be the person you needed when you were hurting, not the person who hurt you. Vow to be better than what broke you—to heal instead of becoming bitter so you can act from your heart, not your pain.” This requires us not to give up on someone and anyone we love even when everything falls apart. We might not be what that person ideally hopes for but we become a sign of hope. How do we do this? First, we never look away from the reality of suffering. We might want to avoid seeing others’ suffering for many reasons. It pains us to see others’ suffering and we encounter a sense of helplessness. Yet, we resist this with compassion and empathy for others. We must face the reality of suffering just as the women at the tomb followed Jesus all along until his death and to the point where they even searched for his dead body. Once we are there, we then see things with a simple practice of appreciation. We learn to appreciate what’s there rather than what’s not there. For example, we might complain about heavy traffic but appreciate that you have a car to be stuck in that traffic or that you’re able to drive a car. We might complain about the food we eat but look, you have at least food as well as that plate to hold that food. You have a sensitive tongue to taste and teeth to chew. Even if we catch ourselves complaining, we can appreciate our critical eyes to see what needs to improve. We learn to appreciate the living before getting caught up in the dead. This simple practice of appreciation might sound somewhat silly but is a spiritual discipline that we can work on every day and everywhere. Look at what there is rather than what there isn’t. Focus on what can fill that lack or void. This is like the prayer attributed to St. Francis: “Lord, make us instruments of your peace; where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.” The way of looking for the living among the dead also applies to us internally. It is to discover and acknowledge something good in ourselves when self-doubt or self-hatred at worst haunts us. Appreciate yourself. Give yourself credit. Pride is egoistic, competitive, and boastful while self-compassion is grateful, humble, and self-giving. Why do we look for what’s good in us? Because Christ is risen in us. Ellen Bass’s poem, “The thing is” captures this aspect of resilience that never ceases to search for the living among the dead. “The Thing Is” – Ellen Bass to love life, to love it even when you have no stomach for it and everything you’ve held dear crumbles like burnt paper in your hands, your throat filled with the silt of it. When grief sits with you, its tropical heat thickening the air, heavy as water more fit for gills than lungs; when grief weights you down like your own flesh only more of it, an obesity of grief, you think, How can a body withstand this? Then you hold life like a face between your palms, a plain face, no charming smile, no violet eyes, and you say, yes, I will take you I will love you, again. My friends in Christ, be the agent of hope for the world, for your communities, for your family and friends, for others, for those who you don’t like and who you don’t even know. Also, be the agent of hope for yourself and for God. Be like the angels who ask, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” and confess, “Because Christ is risen!” Amen. |
Paul"...life up your love to that cloud [of unknowing]...let God draw your love up to that cloud...through the help of his grace, to forget every other thing." Archives
January 2025
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