Lent Day 50: The rolling stones

We all go through tensions and problems in our life. We walk with them, sit with them and sleep with them. They are there and it is a mental block. We even pray for overcoming hurdles and blocks in life. Easter presents such a tension, block and hurdle. The hurdle of the closed tomb. 

In St. Mark 16: 1, Mary Magdalene, the apostle to the apostles, Mary the mother of James and Salome walk to the tomb with spices to anoint the body of Jesus. Their faith, concern and love is immense. This could also be a special characteristic of women. They go to any length when it is something that touches their heart. The risk, danger and uncertainty were huge and yet they go. 

All through we are wondering about the close disciples. The twelve minus the one who was tempted to betray. They are no where near the tomb and yet God takes care of the burial in the most honourable way. Perhaps something for us to think too when we worry too much about our death and what will happen then. Someone will be there to take care of everything in the best way and they need not be those close to us!

The women were walking very early after the Sabbath on the first day of the week. Suddenly they think of something. Verse 3 says, “And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?” Now this could have easily been a reason for them to walk back. But they carry on. We usually falter, stop and move back when we are faced with an adversity. But we can also look at it and say that we will anyway have a look and return if we can’t get our work done. 

The women reach and verse 4 says, “ And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back;- it was very large.” The very large is an indication that by themselves, they wouldn’t have managed to remove the stone. Just imagine. The resurrection wouldn’t have been witnessed and reported without a rolled back stone. Our life is basically a bag of plans. But we usually plan through till the end. The plan of the women though ended at the door of the tomb. This is when God’s plan is revealed. An open tomb is an open God, a revealed Jesus and hope for humanity. We are all weary of approaching doors because we are not sure whether the stones will be rolled away. But Easter is not our plan and our execution but God’s way of showing the rolling stones in our life. Christ is risen. The large stone has been rolled back. Amen.

Easter blessings

We looked for him on the cross, we searched for him in the tomb, we talked about his goodness to others, we told ourselves he would be raised on the third day. We walked with a man and he appeared as if he didn't know anything that happened. We asked him to have food with us and he ended up serving food for us. Then we realised, he is here, right in our midst. Right here with us. Our hearts are burning with each and every word of his. Christ is risen. Jesus Christ is risen. He is the guest with us on our table today. Easter and Christ greetings to you and your family.

Easter: ‘Jesus remixed’

Kerala is in the hold of a remix trend. Two movies, ‘Sagar Alias Jacky’ and ‘2 Harihar Nagar’, are sequels to the runaway successes, ‘Irupatham nootand’ (Twentieth Century) and ‘In Harihar Nagar’. The music has been remixed to seal the gap between the decade-separate generations and it is catching on in high spirits.

As the Christians in Kerala celebrated Easter (the resurrection of Jesus), this need to bridge the gulf between the decade-separate generations is being felt. On the one hand traditional churches offered a change in timings of the Easter service to accommodate the ones who found the early morning service a tad bit too difficult logistically speaking. On the other hand the people also are becoming more vocal about the need to make services more relevant for the times.

This is where the concept of ‘Jesus remixed’ comes in. As in any remixed version, there are the pros and cons of taking such a step. The traditionalists argue that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and any change is the distortion of truth. Those who think otherwise are of the opinion that truth itself is not a constant and changes with the times, and it does not mean that Jesus has changed in essence. The priests also point out that the original is the only version and anything else is an attempt at humiliating our forefathers and foremothers, the originators. Further they also argue that what has been handed down has been crafted very carefully and has immense meaning in it. They are opposed by those who say that what should be and should not be is for the people to decide and not by the so called purists.

Can we then say that what is mixed once cannot be mixed again so that the essence is maintained? Or can we say that every generation needs a new mix for a new fix? Or should we call it rediscovering oneself through a remix? As Mohanlal is rediscovering himself in an age well ahead of retirement, we should maybe wait and see as to what will last; the mix or the remix!