Easter Sunday

John 20: 1 – 2

Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone was moved away from the entrance. She ran at once to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, breathlessly panting, “They took the Master from the tomb. We don’t know where they’ve put him”.

On a trip to Ireland with my aunt and one of my nieces, my aunt decided to go back to her hotel room early after a day of sightseeing while my niece met up with some friends. My aunt got to her room, walked in, and to her surprise the room was empty. All her belongings were gone. She double-checked the room number. Then she walked to the bed, sat down, and tried to process what had happened. All of her valuables, even her medicines, were gone. She felt paralysed, not sure of her next step: Approach the hotel manager? Go to the police or the chemist? Just when she was getting ready to act, the door opened and a housekeeper walked in.

“I’m sorry, Madam, but this is not your room”.

“Excuse me,” my aunt replied. “I am sure it is my room. Here is my key. But my things are missing”.

“Oh, yes,” the housekeeper replied, “we switched your room this morning. Your belongings are now in a different room down the hallway. The door is open”.

Incredulous, my aunt walked down the passageway to the new room. Sure enough, there were her things all nicely laid out.

A short time later, she heard her daughter demanding in a loud voice, “Why is this room empty! Where is my mother? Where are our things! This is simply outrageous!”

Shock, despair, or outrage are the typical responses to an empty room – or an empty tomb. Standing with the emptiness, we realise how full our lives were and how great our loss. But our loss also makes us acutely aware that our most precious asset – love – is always with us. That is the Good news of Easter.