More Than an Upgrade

Imagine someone who, for months or perhaps years, has been carrying the burden of a serious illness. Maybe it is mental illness, depression or anxiety; maybe it is bodily illness, cancer; maybe it is spiritual illness, despair or apathy. Are you imagining a man or a woman? Are you imagining someone in particular? There are such people in all of our lives, often very near. And now imagine that as the sun dawns one morning, the illness is gone. Completely gone. Its burden, its power evaporated. This is an Easter sort of image, isn’t it? It reminds me of that prayer that is so loved and familiar to many long-time Episcopalians, the prayer for "All sorts and conditions of men." In it we pray that everyone may receive "a happy issue out of all their afflictions." (BCP, p. 815)

Or let me offer you another Easter image. I put a batch of crocus bulbs in by the side of the house two falls ago. They were nice last year, but this second spring they are spectacular. And they held on through that late snow a few weeks ago and this past week’s bitter cold. They are just bursting with color, with spring. They speak of Easter time.

Yesterday, I put clothes out on the line outside to dry in the sun for the first time this year. For me that’s a powerful image of spring, an Easter image.

Easter sermons tend to be full of illustrations like these. Maybe not these exact images, but ones like them. Among these illustrations, we might identify two general categories. There are the "all’s well that end’s well" images of Easter. A cure is found; a financial windfall appears; an unexpected reconciliation takes place. Despite life’s trials and tribulations, Easter is a HAPPY ENDING.

In another category are the spring time images which capture feelings of renewal, the conviction that life contains "second chances," cyclical opportunities for rejuvenation. Easter is a NEW BEGINNING.

It occurred to me this past week as I was listening to National Public Radio’s Morning Edition that our modern culture is pervaded by yet another set, another category, of images for Easter. Easter as a SPIRITUAL UPGRADE. The radio piece was actually on taxes and wealth, but the commentator quoted H. L. Mencken, who is reported to have said, "A man considers himself wealthy if he earns $100 dollars more than his wife’s sister’s husband." No matter how much an individual earns, that individual perceives wealth to be an increment more than his or her current earnings. Our frame of reference is where we (and our neighbors) are now and then our life’s desires become a series of incremental upgrades. We would be financially content if only we could upgrade our income just a bit. We would be spiritually fulfilled if only we could upgrade our prayer life just a bit. We would be really happy if we could upgrade our computer with just a bit more memory… and a faster processor… and maybe a write-able CD drive. We long to upgrade. I can certainly imagine an Easter sermon full of these sorts of illustrations, talking about how this Easter Day offers us opportunities to upgrade our spiritual lives. Easter as SPIRITUAL UPGRADE.

None of these images is wrong. Each one does capture a whiff of what Easter is about. But they are all feebly pale shadows of what Easter really offers. After all, life’s trials do not always resolve into happy endings. Spring, every year, ultimately gives way to summer, fall and another harsh winter. And we all know how short-term the satisfaction is that comes from upgrading. I said on Friday that Good Friday is probably the easiest day on the church calendar on which to preach. Not pleasant, but easy. Sin is so easy to describe and make real. Easter, on the other hand, is perhaps the most difficult day of the church year on which to preach. Filled with immeasurable joy and gladness, but difficult to preach. Easter is not really like, or similar to, any image drawn from our life experiences.

Easter is about things that words cannot express.

Easter is joy that is immeasurable, indescribable.

Easter is the fulfillment of expectations beyond our wildest dreams. Literally.

Easter is the reality of the unbelievable.

Easter is the promise of the unimaginable.

Easter is a future shared with the risen Christ.

No matter who you are. No matter where you are. No matter what you’ve done or haven’t done. Easter is your future shared with the risen Christ. No matter whether you life journey is just beginning or at its very end. No matter where that journey has taken you. No matter whether you stand now in the midst of sorrow or joy, peace or pain. The step that lies ahead of us all is into the infinite, surrounding fullness of God’s love. That step is unlike anything else on earth or in heaven. No image can begin to convey the immeasurable joy of our Easter future.

Mark evidently understood the indescribability of Easter. Ancient manuscripts of Mark’s gospel vary, and there is some scholarly dispute about where Mark’s gospel actually ends, but most likely the words we heard this morning are the end. The women have found the empty tomb. The young man robed in white proclaims, "You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here." And that’s all he wrote. The future beyond Jesus’ resurrection is beyond words.

The heavenly messenger does tell those at the tomb that Jesus goes ahead of them to Galilee and they will see him there. I have no doubt that Jesus’ disciples did experience his presence with them after the resurrection, just as we do. But those stories aren’t in Mark. No stories about fish breakfasts by the Sea of Galilee. No tale set on the road to Emmaus. No account from behind locked doors in the upper room. No words. Only speechless awe and wonder as Mark looks into the Easter future. Life with the risen Christ is beyond description.

Some of you will know of Dag Hammarskjöld. He served as Secretary of the United Nations in the mid and late 50’s. He was also a man of rich faith. He had a brilliant and creative mind. He was a sophisticated philosopher and extremely articulate. He had immense resources of language and imagery at his disposal. Listen to this prayer he wrote:

For all that has been—thanks!
For all that shall be—yes!

On this Easter day we are at the very threshold of a future shared with the risen Christ. That Easter future offers us so much more than happy endings, a mere "happy issue out of all our afflictions." Easter offers us so much more than just another spring; so much more than a spiritual upgrade in life. An Easter future shared with the risen Christ offers us…

Words fail me… But for all that shall be — YES!

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