Resurrection Light: Beyond All Limits of Space and Time
Indianapolis First Friends Quaker Meeting
Pastor Bob Henry
April 12, 2020
Mark 16:1-8 (MSG)
16 1-3 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so they could embalm him. Very early on Sunday morning, as the sun rose, they went to the tomb. They worried out loud to each other, “Who will roll back the stone from the tomb for us?”
4-5 Then they looked up, saw that it had been rolled back—it was a huge stone—and walked right in. They saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed all in white. They were completely taken aback, astonished.
6-7 He said, “Don’t be afraid. I know you’re looking for Jesus the Nazarene, the One they nailed on the cross. He’s been raised up; he’s here no longer. You can see for yourselves that the place is empty. Now—on your way. Tell his disciples and Peter that he is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You’ll see him there, exactly as he said.”
8 They got out as fast as they could, beside themselves, their heads swimming. Stunned, they said nothing to anyone.
Good Easter morning to everyone who is joining us from the comfort of your own homes, today. I hope this message finds you safe and well in these unprecedented times.
I will be honest, it just isn't the same celebrating in this manner, but I am glad we have these means to come together and worship while apart.
Way before the Coronavirus Pandemic descended upon us, I have taken daily walks through our neighborhood.
With Spring appearing and all the beautiful sunshine, those walks have lengthened. Now, instead of 5000 steps on my Fitbit, I am almost getting my entire 10,000 steps in one walk.
On one of our recent walks, Sue and I were pacing ourselves when we came across a patch of sidewalk that looked as if a dog had done its business hundreds of times right on the pathway.
We were quick to slow our pace and began walking as though we were entering a mine field. About half-way through, we realized it wasn’t dog dropping at all, but the neighbor’s yard had just been aerated.
The “droppings” were actually dirt clogs. Sue and I were relieved at the discovery and then chuckled the rest of the way home.
The next day, as I entered our neighborhood on my lunch time meditation walk, I came across a truck pulling equipment with a huge sign reading “Aeration and Dethatch” with a phone number to call. It was obviously the season.
Now, if you enjoy gardening or keeping up your lawn, you know that aeration and dethatching are important.
Grass roots need air, water and nutrients to grow thick, deep and strong. When soil becomes compacted, even slightly, it inhibits the flow of the essentials that support thicker, healthier grass.
Aeration creates holes down into the soil to alleviate compaction so air, water and nutrients can reach the grass roots.
As I pondered this concept and watched as many yards in our neighborhood were being aerated, I could not help but think about how much this process was similar to what is going in our world right now.
The Coronavirus Pandemic seems to be our aerator. It is violently creating holes in our lives and our universe, but at the same time, letting those of us that do not have Covid-19, breathe a little.
It is allowing us to slow down, to nurture ourselves, and to break-up the daily routines that have become like compacted soil in our lives.
It reminds me of the song, Eric just played by Leonard Cohen. Often, I see and hear Quakers quote those two famous lines of the song,
“There’s a crack, there’s a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”
Leonard Cohen was a very private man, and he was known for not liking to explain his music.
Supposedly though, he did make a rare statement about the song “Anthem” on The Future Radio Special, a special CD released by Sony in 1992. Here is what Cohen said about the song.
The future is no excuse for an abdication of your own personal responsibilities towards yourself and your job and your love. “Ring the bells that still can ring”: they’re few and far between but you can find them.
This situation does not admit of solution of perfection. This is not the place where you make things perfect, neither in your marriage, nor in your work, nor anything, nor your love of God, nor your love of family or country. The thing is imperfect.
And worse, there is a crack in everything that you can put together: Physical objects, mental objects, constructions of any kind. But that’s where the light gets in, and that’s where the resurrection is and that’s where the return, that’s where the repentance is. It is with the confrontation, with the brokenness of things.
I love that last thought. Let me read it again.
But that’s where the light gets in, and that’s where the resurrection is and that’s where the return, that’s where the repentance is. It is with the confrontation, with the brokenness of things.
Just before we went into quarantine and isolation and closed everything down, I wrote in our Meeting’s newsletter, Friend to Friend, the following words,
“I encourage you to join with me in tending our gardens, hitting the reset buttons, and just maybe we will see resurrection in real-time this Easter happening in our own lives and in the lives of people everywhere.”
So, I ask you…
Have you seen it?
Have you experienced it?
Have you begun to aerate your life?
Have you allowed the cracks to let the light in?
I know for me being in quarantine or isolation has led to me spending a lot of time reading. Just before the shut down, I purchased a copy of Richard Rohr’s latest, The Universal Christ. I have been reading and reading it for the last several weeks.
Rohr points out,
Most of us, if we are listening and looking, also have such resurrection accounts in the middle of our lives, when “the veil parts” now and then.
Like Leonard Cohen, Rohr sees the importance of there being openings in our lives that let the Light in – and he too relates this Light to resurrection.
Earlier in the book, Rohr responded to the question, “What happened at Jesus’ resurrection?” In response, Rohr gives us a better picture of this Light within the context of the resurrection, when he states,
What happened at the resurrection is that Jesus was fully revealed as the eternal and deathless Christ in embodied form. Basically, one circumscribed body of Jesus morphed into ubiquitous Light. Henceforth, light is probably the best metaphor for Christ or God.
As Quakers, we know this to be true. We even talk about our Christ or Inner Light all the time. But what does it all mean for us?
Some say, it is all about eternal life, or about the hereafter. And that seems to be fine for many. But for me, it doesn’t speak to my current condition or the way I process spiritual matters.
As a visual learner, the resurrection is something difficult to wrap my mind around, especially as an event that took place 2000+ years ago in a foreign culture than my own.
Often in the last several weeks, instead of seeing the resurrection as a literal physical event with all the elements I had been raised to argue and defend, I found myself visualizing that ubiquitous Light.
Immediately, instead of recording the thoughts in a journal, I decided to paint my experience.
I sensed a plethora of colors that spoke to the universality of the resurrection. That this event was for EVERYONE in the universe not just certain people with the correct beliefs or faith structures.
I experienced light breaking through into the lives of individual people and families. They were finding hope in the midst of troubled lives and a painful existence.
I saw this patchwork of color and light forming together and creating a resurrected body of Christ – one unit – together in the present moment for the world to experience.
So…I painted and painted and when I was done, this is what emerged.
Resurrection Light: Beyond All Limits of Space and Time
Resurrection Light: Beyond All Limits of Space and Time
At first, I had no words to describe it. I just sat taking it in and trying to process what I had created.
Then after visually expressing my thoughts, I picked up Rohr’s “The Universal Christ” and to my surprise read this... This is Rohr speaking…He says…
Back in 1967, my systematic theology professor, Fr. Cyrin Maus, OFM, told me that if a video camera had been placed in front of the tomb of Jesus, it wouldn’t have filmed a lone man emerging from a grave (which would be resuscitation more than resurrection).
More likely, he felt, it would’ve captured something like beams of light extending in all directions. In the resurrection, the single physical body of Jesus moved beyond all limits of space and time into a new notion of physicality and light — which includes all of us in its embodiment.
Christians usually called this the ”glorified body” and it is indeed similar to what Hindus and Buddhists sometimes call the “subtle body.”
Both traditions pictured this by what became the halo or aura, and Christians placed it around all ”saints” to show that they already participated in the one shared Light.” (p. 177-178)
My artistic vision seems to express well what Rohr’s professor described. Probably because...
I needed to see in my life the cracks letting in the Light of the resurrection.
I needed to see Jesus morphed away from the world’s definitions and images that have encased him, and instead see him as that ubiquitous Light - a light that we Quakers believe resides in all people.
I think this is because we all have cracks that have let the Light in – even if we are unaware.
I needed to see that Resurrection Light extending in all directions – not just to those that are approved, accepted, or have the right answers - but to people of all cultures, orientations, beliefs, and understandings.
I needed to see all of us coming together in the “glorified body” or “subtle body” in unity and love.
And I needed to know that this resurrection Light was a sign that I am participating in a shared Light – together with all of you – not just on our own or by ourselves. Even while isolated or quarantined – the good news is that we are still participating in that shared Resurrection Light – TOGETHER!
This has brought me hope…and I pray it brings you hope as you continue to aerate your spiritual lives and allow the resurrection Light to enter your hearts this Easter.
Now as we enter a time of waiting worship, I ask you to ponder these queries.
1. During this difficult time, how have I begun to aerate those compacted areas of my spiritual life?
2. Am I listening and looking for where the Resurrection Light is entering my life?
3. How am I embodying the Resurrected Light and sharing together with my neighbors the hope that it brings?