Thoughts of Easter Sunday remain with us as we remember the words, "Christ is risen, He is risen indeed. Alleluia." We proclaim that the tomb is empty and the resurrected Christ lives.
Easter is supposed to be a time when feelings of despair, grief, fear and anxiety are replaced by hope. And yet here we are, sheltering in place, doors shut, longing for things to return to normal. Some of us can indeed identify with the disciples who locked themselves away in fear after the crucifixion. Matthew 28 tells us that when Mary Magdalene went to the tomb, an angel said "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said."
During this season of pandemic as the days turn into weeks, weeks into months, and it feels like each month is a year, let us hang on to the words of hope the women at the tomb heard as well as the disciples whom Jesus found on the road to Emmaus and in the upper room-the tomb isn't empty. Let these words encourage and uplift us whenever we find ourselves longing to be set free from the tomb we may feel like we are living in. As we continue to proclaim, "Christ is risen, He is risen indeed", let us add these words "The tomb is empty. Alleluia"
