Sunday, March 31, 2024

The business of standing and staring

Sermon for the Feast of the Resurrection

We've been minding
our own business
this Lent
trying to understand
how the things
we busy ourselves with
fit with our Faith.

We've been asking,
"Is our everyday faith the Faith?"

[PAUSE]

But today is not like everyday.

Today,
we stand at the door of the tomb
staring in
looking at the folded graveclothes
and the napkin lying by itself
trying to make sense
of what has happened.

And we are not alone.

For many people 
stand by us gazing into
the tomb
but they are very busy indeed
asking what has happened,
arguing and debating,
looking for clues and evidence
looking for a lack of clues
and evidence.

Many people busy themselves
with trying to deconstruct
the tomb
to show it's all a myth
an illusion
a folly of history.

Other people busy themselves
today
showing that the empty tomb
that we gaze into
is a historical fact.

Yes!

Yes it is a historical fact.

But we don't always need
to have to prove that it is.

We don't always need to argue
with those who rubbish 
the Resurrection.

Sometimes,
we just need to stand and stare
into the empty tomb
and allow our spirit
to busy itself
drinking in the Truth
basking in the Light
that ruptures this world's 
business of transaction
and competition
of evidence and matter.

The difference is
that the world will still 
stand and stare into the empty tomb
and try and make it fit
with its interpretation
that the dead do not rise.

But we, 
above the chatter of those
who seek to explain what they see 
before then,
we hear the invitation
to stop standing and staring;
we hear the invitation
to turn around
and listen to the angels
tell us that HE IS RISEN!

The world is deaf to that,
but we need not be,
we must not be.

Because we know 
that sometimes
our business is not doing,
sometimes 
our business is just 
to stand still 
and look up into the face
of the Risen Lord
and that's all we need to be doing.

We don't need to be
agonising about fasting,
we don't need to be 
calculating our alms,
we don't need to be 
finding the right prayer
in the Prayerbook.

Sometimes,
we just need
to stand still,
see Him with us,
and unite our everyday faith
with the Faith of Today,
the Faith of Easter Day
with the words
"My Lord and My God."

This is the day 
that the Lord hath made.

Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

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