It's Raining Again

It's cold and rainy in Washington, DC today.  It is not the kind of day when you rush to step outside, go for a long walk, marveling at the Cherry Blossoms.  Rather, it's the kind of day when you want to stay inside, clear your schedule, put on a teapot, and curl up with a book.  It's a dreary day, a gloomy day, a somewhat sad day.

On days like this, my heart aches a little.  There is something about the melancholy of the weather that makes me think about those who are sick, hurting, broken.  My mind is consumed with thoughts of Dorine who struggles in intensive care.  I think of my mother's first Easter without her husband, Red.  I am praying for those who have lost jobs and for our nation as our debt reaches record levels.  I am thinking of those who are huddled on the porch of our church, unsure of when they will find a home next or even their next meal.

All is not well.  There is sadness, brokenness, sin, loss.

I can imagine how Mary and the other women must have felt on this day.  On Good Friday, they would have watched as their beloved son, friend, teacher, and guide was crucified.  They would have watched as he carried his cross and then died a violent death.  They would have heard the seven last words from the cross - coming from the mouth of Jesus himself.  And, I can imagine that when Saturday came, they had a hard time getting out of bed.  I can imagine that their outlook on life wanted to keep them inside the house instead of outside in the marketplace.  I can imagine that their thoughts were filled more with despair than with hope.

Thankfully, we know the rest of the story.  The sun is supposed to rise tomorrow.  The rain is forecasted to end.  Along with this change in the weather, we will gather to celebrate the only reason any of us can have hope for today, tomorrow and all eternity.  While the tomb is now consumed and the cross is empty, the tomb will be emptied in the morning.  Jesus will rise again.  We will shout, "Hallelujah!  He is Risen!" and then sing together, "Christ the Lord is Risen Today."

In the meantime, I am wrestling with what it must have felt like to be in Jerusalem some 2000 years ago on this day.  Hope would have been hard to find.  I'm so thankful that the tomb was not filled for long.  I am so thankful that on the third day, the tomb was emptied.

Our hope has been found.  I'd love to tell you about it in the morning.  Please come join us at 11:00 at Mount Vernon Place.