The cover of the April 8, 1966 issue of The Time did not have pictures of any personalities or world events. It had only three words printed on it: Is God Dead? As early as the Oct 22, 1965 issue, Time had printed an article on the “death-of-God theologians.” Among them was Thomas J.J Altizer, an associate professor of religion at Atlanta’s Emory University who wrote, “We must recognize that the death of God is a historical event: God has died in our time, in our history, in our existence.” What compounded the issue was the discovery in December 1945 of fifty-two Coptic extra Biblical texts at Nag Hammadi in Egypt. These documents were translated into English by 1970. These texts presented the life, death and resurrection of Jesus rather differently than the traditional gospels. The Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Peter, The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, The Gospel of Judas and other extra-biblical literature do not take the resurrection of Jesus for granted. Fictional accounts of Jesus’ life like the Da Vinci Code, and the more recent documentary on the tomb of Jesus by Hollywood director James Cameron only add fuel to the fire.
If what the above scholars, archaeologists, and film-makers propose is true, then this morning we are wasting our time; my homily is empty rhetoric and this Eucharist an empty ritual. I too have paused at times and asked myself the question, “What if Jesus did not rise from the dead?” But when I weigh the evidence, my doubts vanish. Because, even after 2000 years, in the city of Lima, a community has come together this morning precisely because we believe that Jesus is risen. I do not need an evidence of the resurrection. We are the evidence of the resurrection. Moreover, the faith of this community is supported by those who have laid down their lives to witness to the truth of the resurrection. Tens of thousands of people over the centuries have made heroic sacrifices, and have chosen asceticism, missionary work, suffering, foreign lands, persecution, suffering and even death to bear witness to Christ. People do not do such things for a lie – not for 2000 years. The fact that the Church has not only survived through dark times and leaders, but that it has produced holy men and women like, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Francis of Assisi, self-sacrificing heroes like Thomas Moore, Macmillan Kolbe, Archbishop Oscar Romero, Sister Dorothy Stang and Mother Teresa, is a witness to the power of the resurrection. In faith, then, with two billion Christians all over the world, this Easter morning we recall the resurrection of Jesus.
The scripture readings recount to us the many appearances of Jesus after his resurrection and there are common strands in each of these readings. For example, first, before the actual encounter with the risen Jesus, there is such hopelessness in their lives. The three women who came early to the tomb early and their primary question was, “who will roll back the stone?” Mary Magdalene in the gospel according to John is in despair because she cannot find the body of Jesus. The gospel reading recounting the resurrection appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene is a very moving episode. However, Mary’s resurrection experience was only the climax of her discipleship, preceded by other experiences. In fact, Mary had made a long journey of faith as far as her relationship with Jesus was concerned. There was a time when Mary did not know Jesus. Her life was her own affair. In fact, her life was not even her own; she was possessed by a legion. It was Jesus who had set her free. But once she was set free by Jesus she began to follow him. That is the first stage in her faith - ‘from not knowing to following Jesus’. Once she knew Jesus she began following him. She did it her own way. She followed him by sitting at his feet and listening to him. Jesus quotes her example to Martha, on one of his visits. She followed him by looking after his needs. In fact, she is even there at the sight of the crucifixion. She has followed him on the way to Calvary. That brings us to the second stage of her faith journey - from knowing to following and experiencing. Christ asks her to share that experience. She is given the responsibility to make his resurrection and her experience known to those who need to know that. That’s the third stage - from experiencing to witnessing.
Second, some disciples greeted the news about the resurrection of Jesus with some skepticism. In the gospel of Mark, the risen Jesus rebukes the disciples for their unbelief. Thomas refused to believe till he touched Jesus. In the gospel of Luke, Jesus had to eat a piece of baked fish to prove that he was not just a ghost. The initial skepticism gave way to undaunted faith. Once the disciples believed they became powerful witnesses of Jesus. The disciples on the road to Emmaus looked downcast. This is where most of the extra-biblical literature ends. How tragic! But in the gospels, that is only part of the story. After pain, suffering and death comes the “good news.” Jesus is risen! Gloom gives way to excitement, despair to hope, death to life. He is alive.
Thirdly, It was on a beautiful windy day that little Sophie was flying her kite. Her grandfather made sure she had plenty of extra string. As fate would have it, the kite flew higher and higher, and higher yet! "Sophie," said Grandpa, "it looks like the kite is gone; it looks like the wind stole it from you. I can't even see it." "No, no," said the little seven year old girl, "it's still there!" And the patient grandfather replied to little Sophie, "Sophie, what makes you think you still have a kite on that string?" Sophie replied, "But I do, I do Grandpa, because I can feel something you can't feel! I can feel the kite tugging my string and pulling my hand."
If we would all pay special attention to our inner feelings we could "feel" little tugs at our hearts and minds, tugs at our innermost thoughts that tell us, we are not alone, there is a kite up there, we are special, and we are children of God. Oh, sometimes we simply brush those ideas away perhaps because we're tired of thinking there's more on our kite string. Try as we might want to forget it, especially as we get older, there is more on our kite string tugging at our hearts and souls. We're so afraid that our hopes and dreams, that our desires and aspirations, our good will and good living which allow us to soar to the heavens is all an illusion, that it's all for nothing. It has all disappeared in clouds of despair. We give up and we often feel we are alone.
When Jesus rose from the dead, not a word was spoken. There was no "talk" only action. God always acts in our behalf and God has acted beyond our imagination in raising His Son from the dead. That's the Easter message. God did not make us to abandon us. God made us for life, for living, and for life beyond this world. That's the kite string that keeps tugging at our hand and heart. We are not abandoned, we are not alone, there is a kite up there, and our destiny is to be fulfilled in everlasting life. No guru ever came back from the dead, to help us. Jesus did. And Jesus is tugging at us. "Come on, I'm here; you can feel my tug on your heart."
As we move into the liturgy of the Eucharist the saving death and resurrection of the Lord is recalled, renewed, and presented to us as our string to heaven. While many say there is no kite, we say, "Oh yes there is because we can feel an eternal love tug pulling at our hearts." The Eucharist is our string to resurrection, our string to eternity, our string to the High Flying Lord of Easter Sunday. Amen.
