Acts 3:12-29; Psalm 4; 1 John 3:1-7; Luke 24:36b-48
The Rev. Drew Brislin
Well, the eclipse came and went. We had fun with it here at the church as I’m sure some of you saw our goofy Facebook post with special glasses and aluminum foil hats as if we were trying to communicate with something or someone. Throughout history natural events like the eclipse have drawn people not only into places of wonder but also into places of anxiety and fear. Events like these always bring out weird and fantastic conspiracy and end times people. Groups trying to tie natural events to certain passages of scripture in an attempt to predict the end times. Whether it is the chemical reactions in our brains that get our attention or that sixth sense that creates a heightened awareness in us, fear always gets our attention. I personally am not a fan of fear. That is why I have never been a fan of horror or suspense movies that keep you on the edge of your seat. I always left those to my mom and brother who shared an affinity for movies of that particular genre. My greatest fears, I think, have always been grounded in a desire to not be alone. My most recent experiences of fear of real fear as I perceive it and not the caught off guard kind of scared, have come as a result of my mother’s and then my father’s deaths. This wasn’t that traditional fear of being physically harmed, rather it was the kind of fear that results from a heightened awareness of our own mortality. I think there is a certain comfort we fall into while our parents are still alive. For me there was a sense that one there was this buffer between me and death that resulted from the fact that the natural order of life is for children to out live their parents. With the death of both parents my own mortality came into stark view. Secondly, as children, we take comfort in knowing that, for the most part, our parents will always love us and always be there. That no matter how good or bad things might get, they are always in our corner never giving up on us. That regardless of what conflicts we find ourselves in, our parents are there. Maybe not giving us justification but direction so that we either navigate what causes us fear or ways to make corrections within our own lives so that we might find the path to peace. Who do we then turn to for this attention and care that can come only seemingly from our parents. What really is our fear?
As we continue in the Season of Easter, we continue to learn more about who Jesus really is in the wake of His crucifixion and resurrection. Our Gospel lesson this morning from Luke comes on the heals of the Emmaus story where Jesus is recognized when they break the bread. Jesus appears among his friends and says to them “Peace be with you.” I can only imagine what must have been going through their minds as they see their teacher who had died but now is there with them in living flesh. Whether it was fear about what was going to happen to them in the wake of Jesus’ death or possibly fear because they had run when Jesus was taken into custody by the authorities or fear because all they thought they knew was being turned upside down. Regardless, Jesus asks them why are they afraid and why do they doubt? Jesus is alive yet different. He is flesh and bone, yet he just appears among them. He tells them to look at his hands and feet and to touch him so that they will know that it is truly him and that he is not a ghost. Jesus even eats with them to help prove to them that he is no sprit but alive in the flesh. I think Jesus knew that for his disciples and friends, that what causes the greatest fear is to believe that you are alone. That in isolation we often feel lost and that this leads to despair and anxiety that results in fear of the unknown and unrecognizable. Jesus is seeking to restore the relationship that was severed in death and that was severed in sin.
In the wake of both my parents’ deaths, I realized that what at first seemed like fear for me I think was mourning. My parents were and are an integral part of who I am not only in my creation but also in the nurturing and fostering of who I have become. It is natural to feel lost. However, when I looked up and saw that I was surrounded by a loving wife, brothers, extended family and caring friends, I realized that I was not alone. The theologian Howard Thurman says to paraphrase that ‘fear arises out of the sense of isolation and helplessness in the face of varied dimensions of violence to which persons are exposed.’ We all react to different situations and to loss in different ways. We all must navigate grief in our own and varied ways. For me I came to understand that what was causing me fear was a lack of understanding. That I should embrace the memories of my parents and grow in the new relationships that I now had with them. That in death my parents had grown into more perfect versions of themselves and that through prayer and in honoring them they will always be a part of my life. This is the gift of resurrection that our Lord promises us. That death does not have the final say. That death is not an end but a birth into a new way of being in relationship with God.
In our Gospel lesson, Jesus concludes by telling those gathered that what happened to him had to happen so that what was written about the Messiah would be fulfilled and that their minds would be opened to understand the scriptures and that what they were witnessing was God working in the world in a new way. As we continue to make our way toward Pentecost this Easter season Jesus will continue to help us to understand this new way that he will be with us. We can take comfort in knowing that Jesus is with us and that when two or three are gathered in His name, He will be in the midst of them. We help each other to seek and to see Jesus by helping each other to be Jesus in the world. Fear never has the last word because fear is born out of isolation and when we invite our Lord into the middle of our messy lives, we are simply acknowledging what has always been and what we should always know and that is that God is always with us.
Amen