Hope
Let us begin our time together this day by praying the Collect for the day.
“O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that we, who have been raised with him, may abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for ever and ever. Amen
The lectionary gospel reading for today is John 20:11-18. The reading begins with Mary Magdalene weeping, as she stood outside the tomb. She was in despair, with no hope. That word, hope, has stayed with me as I read the collect for this day. The gospel reading concludes with Mary announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord.” She has gone from despair to hope. The disciples, hiding in fear, huddled together in the upper room, went from fear to great joy and renewed purpose for their lives when they heard the miraculous news.
How fragile a thing hope is. What a priceless gift hope is when we experience it, especially like Mary Magdalene or the disciples, when it comes to us even in the midst of despair and fear. Hope is an Easter gift to each of us as well. Before the Resurrection on Easter, there was no hope, only darkness and gloom. After Easter, after He is risen, there is hope–eternal hope!–with light and joy. Life and death have been given new meaning.
In these days following Easter, we find ourselves living in a fragile time of change. Can we really dare to live in hope again? I invite you to keep close to your heart the following prayer from Frederick Buechner:[1]
“O Thou who died and rose again, give us hope. Give us hope that beyond the worst the world can do there is such a best that not even the world can take it from us…hope that none whom thou has loved is ever finally lost, not even to death.”
[1] Frederick Buechner, The Hungering Dark.
