In her book Learning to Walk in the Dark, Barbara Brown Taylor recalls the story of a man by the name of Jacques Lusseyran, a famous resistance leader in the French underground during the 2nd World War.
 
As an ordinary boy, Lusseyran did all the things that boys like to do, including getting into fights at school. During one such scuffle, he fell hard against the teacher’s desk. The arm of his glasses drove into his right eye, while another part shattered the retina of his left. Lusseyran would awake in a hospital room unable to see. And at the age of 8, his life would forever change. “The best thing his parents did for him,” Taylor writes, "was never to pity him.” Instead Lusseyran did not see himself as a poor blind boy, but as “a discoverer of a new world.” The “light outside of him moved inside; showing him things he might not have ever seen.” (Taylor, 2014).
 
Such is the story of Easter. God has done something so blinding that our way of seeing life will no longer be the same. And so we shout loudly the Psalm, “This is the day that the Lord has made. Rejoice. Be glad in it.” Yet, as we sit in this beautiful, historic sanctuary, with the light of day illuminating the stained glass windows, many of us cannot shake the lingering darkness; a sense that something is missing; a fear that the light inside us has gone out.
 
Taylor’s book teaches us that darkness is not to be feared. In fact, it’s where God has done some amazing things. For example it was in the dark that God showed Abraham the stars of his covenant promise. And in John’s gospel it is at Eastertide that God moves like a thief in the night. In the dark something is stirring. Something is alive. Or as Dorothy Bass describes it: “God is outside growing the crops even before the farmer is up, and knitting together the wound before the clinic opens.” 
 
By the time we see the light of dawn, we are too late. We’ve missed Easter. Christ has already risen. So we must learn how to see God...even when we can’t see our own hand in front of our face. We must learn to navigate its blinding presence by using the light within us.
 
Mary’s Easter begins as a painful and agonizing extension of Good Friday. In what we might call a type of spiritual darkness, Mary's life awakens at the tomb, “early . . . while it was still dark.”  But she too is too late. She discovers the tomb is empty. The stone is rolled away. She is afraid. Behind the burn of salty tears and the void of light, she cannot see the body of her beloved teacher and friend. It must be gone, stolen, desecrated. And by the time the angels appear, they do not come with answers about the missing body, they only have a question: “Woman, why are you weeping?”
 
Running—and still weeping—she takes the news to the disciples. Peter and the other disciple take off immediately to see for themselves. John says the men actually race to the tomb! The other disciple gets there first, but Peter is the first to go in. They see that Jesus’ body is indeed gone. Yet there is a familiar spirit lingering in the darkness. The other disciple sees nothing but instantly recognizes God’s work and believes. There in the dark, his life is immediately transformed. John doesn’t tell us what stirred within him, only that “he believed without understanding.”
 
The way I see it this disciple is the church’s “faithful witness;” the person who believes without full comprehension of what it all means. We have plenty of people like this here today. They are the optimists in the bunch, the folks who see people for who they really are. They believe God’s words of promise are real, and they require no proof that eternal life trumps the fear of death.
 
Although these people may often be considered foolish with their boundless optimism and refusal to face the facts, the rest of us secretly cheer for them; drawing our strength from their unwavering trust in God. Their blind faith helps us see differently than what the world would have us perceive. Through their eyes, we discover Easter is a time God redefines reality. For the faithful witness, God's mystery is easy to embrace. Yet it causes others to run away.
 
Peter has spent the last couple of days running away from Jesus. But now in the dark, he’s running towards him. Again, John does not tell us why. Is Peter in competition with the other disciple? Is he running back out of guilt or remorse, needing to tell Jesus he is sorry for denying him after boasting about his loyalty? I don’t know. I can only ask myself what I might have done in his situation.
 
There’s a chance Peter was running with hopeful expectations. After all, he had witnessed both Jairus’ daughter, and Lazarus being raised from the dead. Given all the miracles he’d seen while traveling with Jesus, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say this could be yet another. Either way, Peter sees what the other two see, an empty tomb, and a reality that he can no longer run away from.
 
I'd say Peter is the church’s ‘fearful witness,’ the one who is unsure of what he believes or is too afraid to face what he is called to do. Like some of us here today, Peter has a good sense of God’s reality...but seems afraid to fully commit. Something causes him to run away. And as the story goes, he doesn't get too far. Many of us have doubts, uncertainties about our faith and this thing called religion. And that's okay. But at some point we have to commit.
 
Easter reminds us that once we see God’s power and glory come alive in the resurrected Christ, there is no turning back. We can run all we want, but not go anywhere. For there is nowhere we can run where God cannot be found. In our darkest moments, in our pain and suffering, in our weeping and sadness, in every aspect of our life just as it is in death, God is there, fully alive, lighting us up from within.
 
Of course, when your life has turned upside down, and you've watched everything you love and believed in be crucified and destroyed its easy to be cynical and walk away; especially towards something that promises to take away the pain. How do we know God is in control, transforming life around us? There is a lot of dark unknowns dictating our world today. And if you watch too much TV, you might believe God has lost control of the steering wheel. Evil no longer hides in the shadows. It’s in our face, and in our churches. So how will we know? Simple. The tomb is empty. Jesus is alive. He's calling you by your name.
 
Let's  returns our attention to Mary. She neither faithfully believes nor runs away. Instead she weeps. She doesn’t expect anything to happen; she simply comes to mourn the loss of life, to bid goodbye to someone who loved her unconditionally when no one else would. Now Mary’s grief has brought her back to a dark familiar place; making her unable to recognize the two angles. She even mistakes Jesus for the gardener until he calls her by name. “Mary!”
 
Because of their close relationship, Mary is able to see the resurrected Jesus for who he really is. Instead of a void, she found an opening in the darkness. Everything he taught her, every intimate secret they shared, every laugh, tear, heartache, or angry feeling was instantly transformed into a new reality for her. Her life had a new meaning and purpose.
 
I see Mary as the church’s ‘first faithful and fearless witness;’ one who fully embraces the power of God. She's the type of person who knowingly and willingly does what Jesus asks. I suspect most of us wish to be like Mary. She’s the first to see the empty tomb, the first to be truly transformed by it. She is the first to accept the responsibility to share this good news of Jesus’ resurrection with the world. Without Mary’s testimony, how will we know? Mary sees the light and runs to share it with the darkness.
 
Through Christ, God has given her a new set of eyes, a new wisdom and understanding. She is transformed. And her life will never be the same again. And she rushes to embrace it. Lusseyran speaks of his own transformation in this light: “Our fate is shaped from within ourselves outward, never from without inward.”
 
His story, like John's gospel this morning teach us that even if we have no eyes to see, God’s light is within us. Illuminating the darkest, emptiest tomb, assuring us that there is nothing beyond God’s power that cannot be repaired, redeemed, and renewed. Sara Miles writes this, “None of us can control what God does, but we can open our eyes and see what God is doing.”
 
Easter is our eye-opening, life changing celebration. It is the good news for everyone left weeping in the dark, or suffering from spiritual blindness, or tempted to run away from the unknown mysteries of life. Easter is our saving grace. It is our reminder that God has not given up on us, even if we are tempted to give up on God. Because Jesus Christ is alive, God has freed us to live faithfully, fearlessly and forever. And it's up to us to share this good news. God is redeeming the world.
 
And so we ask, “How will they know?” By the way we live as redeemed and transformed people. They will know by the way we love our neighbors and pray for those who persecute us. By the way we show God’s mercy and grace, turning the other cheek, refusing to meet anger with anger or hate with hate. They will know by the way we refuse to speak or show violence towards another human being. And by the way we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, and care for the sick, the widows and the orphans.
 
The things we do, or do not do, ‘unto the least of these’ we do for him who has been raised up in God’s glory. Jesus has called us to shine our light into the darkest crevices exposing all the injustices that keep people from living as God has always intended for us to live.
 
The whole point of Easter is about life! And living it in full glory of God whose power cannot be contained any more than death could keep Jesus captive.
 
We proclaim Jesus is alive. He has risen indeed. And because he lives we can see tomorrow. But for now on this wonderful Easter day let us shout, "This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Amen.
 
Works CitedBartlett, David L., Barbara Brown Taylor, ed. Feasting on the Word: Year C, Vol. 2. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009.
Bible. NRSV: Psalm 118:14-24; John 20:1-18.
Evens, Rachel Held. Searching for Sunday. Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church. Nashville: Nelson Publishing, 2015.
Miles, Sara. Jesus Freak: Feeding, Healing, Raising the Dead. San Francisco: Jossy Bass, 2010.
Stewart, Benjamin. christiancentry.org. March 31, 2013. http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2013-02/sunday-march-31-2013 (accessed March 25, 2016).
Taylor, Barbra Brown. Learning To Walk in the Dark. New York: Harper One, 2014.
 

I wrote this responsive prayer for Holy Week. It will be read at a community Good Friday service. If you like it, please use it for yourself or for a service. If you so desire, please pass it around.

Leader:  Hear this, all the Earth. The Lord Our God. The Lord is One. Blessed are those who come in the name of the Lord. His steadfast love endures forever.
 
People: Blessed be the name of the Lord our God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
 
Leader:  Write it on your hearts, bind it on your hands, and teach it to your family, friends, and neighbors. Let it be known throughout all creation, the grace of God, our holy Father, is for us. His steadfast love endures forever.
 
People: Blessed be the name of the Lord.
 
Leader: Shout it from the mountain tops, sing it by the vast sea, He is our God. And we are God’s people. Throughout the forest and deserts, in the wilderness and in the wonders of the world, spread the good news that the Lord our God has sent the Word, the only begotten Son, to be with us. His steadfast love endures forever.
 
People: Blessed be the name of the Lord.
 
Leader:  From the darkest valley and the lowliest grave, the Lord our God hears our cries, and came for us, to be with us in human flesh, and made himself for us a perfect sacrifice so that we may be saved by the same Spirit. He came to be for us, to live with us, and to dwell within us. His steadfast love endures forever.
 
People: Blessed be the name of the Lord.
 
Leader:  In all that we do, let us proclaim that by his divine will, we are free from all shame, guilt, hatred, bigotry, division, poverty, violence, hunger, greed, arrogance, pride, deception, addiction and all earthly powers that seek to enslave us. Not even death can control us or keep us from embracing the love of the Lord our God. His steadfast love endures forever.
 
All: Let us sing our hosannas. And let us all shout our praises with joy. The Lord Our God. The Lord is One. Blessed be the name of the Lord our God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

The great Henri Nouwen writes, "We spend an enormous amount of energy making up our minds about other people. Not a day goes by without somebody doing or saying something that evokes in us the need to form an opinion about him or her. We hear a lot, see a lot, and know a lot. The feeling that we have to sort it all out in our minds and make judgments about it can be quite oppressive."

The desert fathers said that judging others is a heavy burden, while being judged by others is a light one. Once we can let go of our need to judge others, we will experience an immense inner freedom. Once we are free from judging, we will be also free for mercy. Let's remember Jesus' words: "Do not judge, and you will not be judged" (Matthew 7:1).
Where in your life would you find it helpful to have more mercy and less judgment?

"Optimism is a political act. Those who benefit from the status quo are perfectly happy for us to think nothing is going to get any better. In fact, these days, cynicism is obedience."

                                                                                                                 - Alex Steffen, The Bright Green City

 
What a big day we are celebrating, today. It’s so great to begin our fourth Sunday of Lent with a beautiful baptism and then end it with a marvelous feast. Lent is often a time to fast from the things that keep us away from God. 
 
But as I reminded (B.) at Wednesday's service each Sunday during Lent is considered a mini-Easter; we are given a day off from our fast to feast on the celebration of the season, and devour the many wonderful things Easter represents in our lives. Which is enough to make (B.) and I happy.
 
What about you? Do you want to be happy? 
 
It seems like a silly question since happiness is the hunger that drives much of our lives. But it must be asked because we set our ambitions and goals by the level of happiness we expect to receive. In the relationships we seek, the hobbies we love, and professions we choose we put happiness high on our list of priorities. 
 
The more I see of the world, the clearer it becomes that the desire for happiness is a universal goal. Whether we are rich or poor, educated or not, of one race, gender, religion or another, we all want to be happy…it’s in our nature. Social science to social media, it's hard to escape the subject because happiness is so ingrained in our DNA. 
 
In my father's book "A Pediatrician’s Blueprint: Raising Happy, Healthy, Moral and Successful Children," he asked parents this simple question: “What is it that you want for your children?” The most common answer he received was, “It doesn't matter as long as they are happy.”  He then asks them to define what this means to them. As the book points out, happiness can come in many forms; not just in love or success, but also in drugs, alcohol, food, money, and sex. 
 
In spite of our best intentions our pursuit for happiness often leads us in the opposite direction. Too often the things we chase after are nothing more than a short-term release from the real struggles of life; perhaps even covering up deeper problems that we might be suffering from. And this is why it is critical we understand what real happiness is, and why we need it to seek it in order to truly live.   
 
In keeping with our Lenten theme, Psalm 32 defines true happiness as standing firm in the promise of God’s forgiveness. It begins by declaring, “Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” Notice it doesn't say happiness comes from being important, accomplished or even optimistic. Instead true happiness comes from being reconciled back into a loving relationship with God. 
 
Other versions of the bible, translate the Hebrew word “ashar” as “blessed” instead of “happy.” But don’t you think they are one in the same? How blessed are we, that we are so dearly loved by God that He takes all the junk in our lives, all the things we have done to hurt ourselves or others, and erases it all. By one blessed event on a brutal cross, our lives changed for the better. 

Martin Luther named Psalm 32 among the greatest, for it offers us all an invitation to live a grace-filled life in response to divine forgiveness. But sadly, the church has historically used our sin to shame us, to keep us living in guilt instead of with joy. 
 
I believe there is someone here who has gone through life carrying their shame from their past believing they’re not worthy of God’s forgiveness? Perhaps you don’t see yourself as truly blessed, muchless as beloved. When we tell ourselves we are not good enough, clean enough, or Christian enough to be so loved by God, then we are neglecting God’s grace. And, dare I say, denying Christ's work on the cross. This only makes it harder for us to find real joy in our lives.
 
The psalmist calls us to break free of this bondage, by naming our wrongdoings. Rid ourselves of the guilt and shame and allow God to do what God does best…forgive us. Paul understood this gospel of grace all too well. He lived it daily. And preached it consistently. Even in his suffering...he could find joy. And so can we, by standing firm on the promise of Gods forgiveness that comes to us through Christ. 
 
Christ is the new covenant of grace that marks God's deep love and desire to be with us, no matter what sin we have done. Christ enters into our brokenness and fears. He sifts through the rubble of our shattered relationships. In the living waters of grace, he washes off all the dirt and grime that has clung to us. And then piece by broken piece, he puts us back together...in the way that God had always intended. 
 
Jesus stood firm on the promise of God’s Words; he stood firm on the promise of God’s Faithfulness; he stood firm on the promise of God’s Grace; and on God’s Forgiveness. To be filled with true joy...Jesus invites us to do the same. Lent is a journey of faith that draws us towards a deeper and more meaningful relationship with God. If we want to be truly happy, then we do not want to miss out on the fullness of life that God offers, whether we think we need it or not.
 
(M.) is too young to comprehend the meaning of Easter or the true joy of her baptism. She doesn’t know the small outward sign of water I placed on her forehead is only a symbol that marks the inward promise of God’s grace within her. But what (M.) knows is this. When she is hungry, she cries out and is fed. And when her diaper is dirty, she cries out and is made clean. She trusts her parents and grandparents will meet her needs. Their love for her has the power to transform her sadness into happiness. So is the way of our heavenly parent who comes to us when we cry out.
 
God's love for us existed well before we were born and will exist long after we have died. As we stand on the promise of God’s forgiveness, we stand in the covenant of God's grace that existed long before creation. This divine mystery can be hard to understand. Yet we come to know it by the pure joy that fills our empty heart. God calls us all to claim redemption for ourselves and to share it as a reflection of God's eternal love to the world.
 
If you so desire true happiness, if you feel the Spirit tugging on your heart then empty yourself before God and take a seat at the table of God’s love. Come and get your fill at this heavenly feast...given in remembrance of the sacrifice that was made for you and for me, for the forgiveness of our sin.
 
Works Cited
The Bible, NRSV. Psalm 32:1-11; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21.
 Bartlett, David L, Barbara Brown Taylor. ed. Feasting on the Word: Year C, Vol. 2. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009.
Macdonald, Donald I. A Pediatrician’s Blueprint: Raising Happy, Healthy, Moral and Successful Children. Petaluma: Roundtree Press, 2013.
 

​"From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way...So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:16-21).

Paul calls us to be Ambassadors of God, who are as Dirk Lange puts it, "called out to the streets (ambassadors do not stay in their own countries)...to become a ferment of hope in the place God has given it, letting God's future break into the world."

As ambassadors of God, we are not merely administers of God's grace and love, but first we are recipients. For we too are broken people. But as we are redeemed back into God's righteousness through Jesus Christ we are called to follow his lead; called to work for God and for others. 

We best way to follow Christ is to "encounter Christ in the other;" in the caring for the neighbor I don't really know, in the loneliness of person sitting next to me that I have yet to smile at, in the strength of the stranger who walks past me on the street in need of an extra hand.

Yet how many times do we struggle to see Christ in the crying baby, in the drunken beggar, in the frightened refugee, in all those who living in the brokenness, whether or not their tears are visible.  The season of Lent can be a vicous struggle, but it's not suppose to be easy. It's purpose is to redirect our point of view from focusing on ourselves to grow in our love for God and our neighbor.  

Paul reminds us that our righteousness comes to us through Christ whom reconciled us back to God. To be claimed by him means we are called to pick up our own cross and follow the way he sees God's righteousness in the strangers and aliens. In other words, we are called to be the face of Christ for others to see and do likewise.