Genesis 1:1-5; John 20:19-31
Several
weeks later and I still chuckle as I recall the sight. There, in our backyard, were two Ivy-league
educated grown men running to and fro, trying best they could to get a new kite
to fly. They had smartly followed the
instructions. It was obviously well
constructed. But no matter which way
and angle and slope they ran together, the kite wasn’t exactly
cooperating. What a sight. And me standing around desperately hoping we
had cleaned up well enough after our dog, Dinah. The two men were my father-in-law, a retired
Christian ethics professor, and my brother-in-law, an engineer. The kite belonged to my step-son, Crosby, who
seemed quite content to let these two relatives have their fun. I, of course, was snapping live-action
digital photos of the whole amusing family moment.
Have
you ever been part of a scene like this?
If there had been more family around, I’m pretty sure they would have
also band together to try and get the kite to fly. I find this happens … when one or two folks
can’t get the right amount of uplift to happen, others join in to help out. But here’s the thing about uplift -- it always
needs just the right amount of wind.
Our
lesson from the Gospel of John reminds us of how grounded the disciples of
Jesus felt immediately after the crucifixion.
Everything they’d hoped for, all the sacrifices they’d made to engineer a
divinely revolutionary movement, had come crashing down. They’d failed and betrayed themselves. They’d failed and betrayed Jesus. They were afraid of the same fate. They were in hiding. All the wind had been knocked out of them.
And
then their risen Lord suddenly, mysteriously appeared in their midst, despite
the fact that the door to where they had gathered was locked as tight at their
hearts at that time. Standing in the very
center of their grave fear and shame, their sacred mentor and Savior said,
“Peace be with you.” For them, these
were powerfully familiar words of healing, harmony and security. Jesus had previously given this word of peace
to a woman he’d healed after she had demonstrated faith by reaching out to
touch the hem of his cloak, after making only the slightest bit of trusting
contact (Mark 5:34). These are also the same words he instructed
his disciples and seventy others to speak when entering people’s homes while on
their mission (Luke 10). The fallen
followers in that room, then, knew this was not just a call of comfort. It was a call to action.
To
give them further uplift during this time when getting the Messianic movement
back off the ground and out the door felt impossible, the risen Lord breathed upon
them. Resurrection respiration. Holy wind. The same wind that blew at the very beginning
of this world’s creation. The same wind that the Creator cast into the nostrils
of the first human. Everything about
this wind, this breath of God, is about perfect life. The disciples may have felt like doubting,
likely soon to be dead ducks … but Jesus’ return freshly stirred and purified
the air around them. It gave them
Almighty oxygen for their suffocating circumstances. And it is the same life-resurrecting,
faith-confirming breath of Christ that fell afresh on the doubts of
Thomas.
Powerfully
lifting up and energizing people is what Jesus’ movement is all about. Everything he taught by word and example is
the opposite of an oppressive force. It’s
all about release from the sin that constantly blows us down, keep us from ever
soaring with the love and hope and peace of our Savior. When folks are falling and failing, be it in
body or in spirit, we are called into action to support one another. We are called to symbolically come together
and run with the Holy Spirit so our lives are like flying faithful kites for
Christ.
Did
anybody follow as this year’s Boston Marathon unfolded just a couple of weeks
ago? I know we all did during last
year’s horrific tragedy. Blessedly,
this year brought about some truly inspirational stories. The one that most moved me (and many others) was
a photo and a video I saw online, followed by my reading the related story on
the Washington Post website.[i]
The
uplifting moments of which I speak happened after all of the elite runners had
long finished the race. The middle of the pack qualifiers followed next
in line. One of them, a man from
Massachusetts who’d run nearly twenty-six miles, passed by the Forum Restaurant.
This was the site of where one of the
two bombs exploded last year. And when
this man passed by, it happened to about 3 P.M, the same time as the
tragedy. Blessedly, the only bad thing
to happen at that point on Boylston Street this year was that this competitor’s
legs were totally giving out. He was
actually one of many who suffered the same, but it’s what happened next that helps
this story really takes flight …
Not
far behind him was an Illinois man named Dave Meyer. Later recalling for the press what he
experienced, he said, “I made the turn onto Boylston Street, I looked up and
saw the finish line and I thought: Thank the Lord. I was just focused on getting
there and getting some water. I could
see the other runner in front of me, his legs were wobbly. He looked like he
was about to go down. At that point, my
time didn’t make any difference to me … I knew how important it was that I
finish. So I knew it was important that he finish.”[ii] So he
caught up and took upon his shoulder the almost lame man’s arm. But the weight of this lift was too much for
two exhausted individuals. They would
have collapsed together were it not for a veteran marathoner from Texas named
Jim Grove. He joined the support with
the little strength he had left. In
great pain and silence, the three men progressed toward the finish line. That’s when the Massachusetts man’s legs
totally quit. Seconds later, a
Minnesotan man named Mike and a Seattle accountant named Kathy offered their
help. All of the injured man had at
that point been lifted above the pavement.
As the five of them passed by the crowds, they were showered with
triumphant cheers. Buoyed by it all, the
man being carried by these sudden teammates gave a shout just before the edge
of the finish line – “Let me walk it.
Let me walk across the finish line.
I need to finish.” They made the
collective decision to put him down.
Each one of them was able to then complete the race individually. These five athletes of the 118th Boston
Marathon quickly became an international symbol of perseverance and hope.
They could have stayed away from this epic event — they
could have let hate, terrorism, fear and violence keep them locked behind safe
doors. They could have said evil
wins. But the love of running as well as
compassion for the pain of others from last year’s bombing inspired them to
stand up and go — and in going out and getting back into the race they told the
world that together they were stronger. “Run
as One,” “Boston Strong,” and “Everyone Finishes the Race” ... these were this
year’s Boston Marathon slogans. It was
no longer every runner for themselves; it was no longer just about the best
time. This is what Easter does for those of us who
run the race of life as Christians. It’s
been run. Our Lord has won it … for
us. It’s about our strength and unity through the
victor Jesus Christ. We are “One in the
Spirit,” “We are the Body of Christ,” “We Will Lift Each Other Up” … these are
our Easter slogans.
I’ll
add one more slogan to this – “Let go fly a kite … for Christ!” Let’s be sure to keep focusing our time and
energy on lifting up one another as well as all our neighbors near and
far. Let’s keep doing so through
prayers for whatever is weighing folks down.
Let’s keep doing so through practical actions that provide much needed
support. Let’s keep doing so by
faithfully welcoming the fresh stirrings and refreshing breezes of the Holy
Spirit. May our every breath be filled
with resurrection respiration! Amen.
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