The themes of joy, love, fear, and suffering are often on my mind concerning people and relationships that I encounter. Like many of you, I see the way evil manifests in the way war and other forms of destruction deeply impact many of us and the people and communities we care about. It breaks my heart to see the young and old alike struggling to find meaning in the chaos of the world and, in turn, dealing with anxiety and fear every day and being afraid to love and trust. I also see how a world in turmoil dominates our conversations, making us doubt each other and be weary of hearing others talk about love, justice, and mercy. In essence, it robs us of joy and fills our minds with fear of one another and the unknown. While we might feel comforted by the distance from conflicts and disasters, it’s vital to recognize how they influence our lives, choices, and perspectives. They’re like an uninvited guest silently occupying the center of our homes, even as we strive to keep our doors shut against the world’s perils. It controls our real and imaginary lives, plans, and how we treat one another. What can we draw our faith/spiritual journeys during times of darkness, and what does it teach us about dealing with darkness?
In my own journey, the resurrection narrative offers valuable lessons and hope about overcoming darkness with light. It shows how fear is taken over by love and turns into joy. The reassurance and the gentle care for one another are felt so deeply in the reading of Matthew 28:1-10. The message of love and peace and our call to be the messengers of that good news are summarized in three key phrases here: “Do not be afraid” (which is brought up repeatedly), “Peace be with you,” and “Go and tell others.” The resurrected Jesus, the angel, and the women present and their relatively short encounter that morning changed history. If we are able to place ourselves in the story, we too can see living our own stories of love, despair and suffering and the joys of resurrection when we overcome the shadow of death. However, how often do we believe we are people of the resurrection?
The life, death and resurrection of Jesus tell us we have nothing to be afraid of, and in fact, we should be messengers of the same.
The women at the tomb are waiting, watching, and taking a risk with their lives to be there for the one they believe was their messiah, offering humanity a lesson on radical love and courage. Love transformed their fear and made them courageous warriors, faithful in waiting and wanting to do the right thing amid agony and sorrow. They also had to overcome their doubt to believe what they saw and share it with others. They became the first ones to deliver the message of hope after the darkness overtook their town and their hearts with the death of their beloved leader. The women at the tomb show us we too can be witnesses of the light and be the peace givers; encourage the ones around us not to be afraid in the face of adversity; we too can become the light bearers for others who are feeling abandoned and in the dark. They remind us of faithfulness and radical love as essential ingredients to eliminate darkness and fear from our homes, communities and countries. Another important lesson from the story is that to be messengers of love, you don’t have to have special privileges, money, or fame.
There are leadership lessons in this story for people, be it in family life, community, and leading nations, that the most essential gift you offer others is your genuine love and kindness, a radical act to be in service of the other. It can be as simple as creating safety, providing peace in times of struggle, and leading by example like the women. If there are enough of us to choose love over fear and be bearers of good news, we may change the world order to be one of peace and harmony. Thus, our news will be ‘good news’ every day, and people may experience the true meaning of resurrection, which is radical love!
