Finding God

Finding God
There are three fundamental Easter stories that help me define my faith. They are the women discovering the empty tomb on Easter morning, the disciples meeting the Risen Christ while fishing on the Sea of Galilee, and disciples who encountered the Risen Christ in the breaking of the bread while on the road to Emmaus. No one expected, in any of these accounts, to meet Jesus. In the first, the women were expecting to encounter death and prepare the body, in the second, filled with fear, the disciples had fled to Galilee to escape persecution and the same fate that met Jesus, and in the last account, the disciples are confused about the events and are travelling to be with their companions.

No one was looking for Jesus but in the midst of death, fear and confusion – they discovered the presence of God in the Risen Christ. My colleague Will Sparks described this past Lent as the Lentiest Lent ever because of all the challenges, isolation, and suffering that was brought on by the COVID 19 crisis. So, for me and many others it was difficult to move from Lent to fully embracing the Easter experience.

But in the midst of social isolation, a world-wide pandemic and individual stories of grief, suffering, anxiety, and fear; we encounter signs of hope, acts of love and the presence of God.

Carol and I are reminded how much we are cared for and loved by the calls we receive from our family and friends – even people we haven’t heard from for years. Someone even dropped off some hand made masks in case we need them to go out. I am touched by how the caregivers go out of their way to comfort my mother in her care home.

As I try to reach out to people by phone and by Zoom, I hear stories of people rebuilding relationships. One family had been estranged from their son and are now reconnected. Others have felt cared for by people who bring groceries, medications and even cat food. Carol and I will be making sandwiches for the homeless in Campbell River.

Even though many of us feel anxious and alone and fear for the future, when we take a moment to look around, God is everywhere, surrounding us in love and in the midst of all that is – a sense of wholeness, healing and hope for a renewed world.

May you find the presence of the Risen Christ where you least expect it.
Thanks be to God, Wayne