Easter Joy in Dark Times (Easter homily)

With so many readings, I can only give a general overview: 
These are chosen in order to trace two lines through history. 
I’m going to say this out of order and I’ll explain why in a moment.

The second line is the course of human action: 
human rebellion against God, things getting worse and worse, 
sometimes up and sometimes down. We started in Paradise;
and at various times we were in slavery to false gods in Egypt, 
or enjoying great prosperity and success, or suddenly in exile, 
or finding our way back again. That is the second line.

The first line traces God’s action; 
and because it is about what God does, that makes it first; 
but I mention it second because we almost always start 
by thinking about ourselves, our accomplishments, 
and only when things go badly do we wake up and ask, “Where’s God?” 

The other reason I come back to what God does 
is because not only does God have the first word, he has the last word. 

Before time began, God simply was, from everlasting.
Time began with God creating this world and us. 

Redemption began the very first moment man showed his back to God; 
because in that moment, God knew what he would do, not merely – 
this part is exciting, listen! – not merely to restore us; 
no, God’s plan, even before Adam sinned, 
was to give us something entirely new and infinitely better! 

To restore us not merely to an earthly Paradise, 
but to give God-life to us; divine life; heaven!
So we begin in the darkness; 
and it’s darker for our sorrow that we cannot gather, 
because of our hunger for Jesus in the Eucharist, 
and the doubts and grief that come from these chaotic times!

And so, yes, it is dark, and we are sad, and honestly, 
we may well be saying, “it doesn’t feel like Easter!”

But despite all that: this is the night! Jesus rose from the dead! 

God’s hand – sometimes acting with mighty power, 
but other times so mild and hidden that we wonder if he is still there – 
brought the lines of human action and divine providence together 
in one place and moment of time: Jerusalem, not quite 2,000 years ago, 
when we nailed the Son to the cross and he said Father forgive them, 
they know not what they do.
He died, taking our sin and guilt with him to the grave.
Yet the grave could not contain him; he lives! He lives! 

And this is the invitation he gives: live in me! 
Not merely a human life, but a divine life! Jesus-life; resurrection-life; 
life that cannot be conquered by a cross or a grave, 
a virus or a recession, a lost job or an empty church 
or separation from those we love. 
Nothing can overcome the life Jesus has and is and gives!

You and I cannot pretend we don’t experience this present strangeness so we won’t even try. 
And pointing out that in all these centuries, 
Christians have been through worse doesn’t make us feel any better. 
So the question is, what do we do about joy? Shouldn’t we feel joy?  Where is it?

Well, we know where that joy is, because we know where Jesus is. 
But it is still dark, and just like the very first disciples were afraid – 
and that was even after they were told Jesus rose, 
and even after they saw the empty tomb, they were afraid! 
So it’s OK for us to feel afraid, too.

Being afraid doesn’t change the fact that we have heard, 
“He is not here, he has been raised.” 
It doesn’t change that we have seen the tomb is empty.

Notice, Peter and John and Mary Magdalene did not stay at the tomb; 
they went and told people what they had seen. 
They were confused; they were uncertain; but they believed.
In time, the words of Jesus, “Do not be afraid!” finally sank in;
and it will be so for us.

This moment will not last forever. 
We’re getting too much Good Friday right now, but that happens;
and it’s just all happening too much at once right now. 
But it won’t last forever. Digging deep, the joy is there, 
it has always been there: Jesus is alive! Jesus reigns!
So don’t just find joy; share it. People in darkness need it.