A Conversation with Mary Magdalene
Mary and the other women must have had fitful sleep after watching Jesus be crucified on Friday and hurriedly placed in a borrowed grave before Sabbath started. One mark of known trauma is reliving the moment over and over – it’s the brain’s attempt to try to make sense of the pain. I’m sure these women had been reliving those tortuous moments of what they witnessed and were relieved to get out of bed and at least do SOMETHING – another mark of processing trauma is the need to physically do something to relieve the pain.
Conversations with Jesus
Have you ever been part of a team or club that came to a screeching halt? My best friend and I played tennis for our high school team and were hoping to make it into the state tournament, but an unexpected loss brought our hopes to a disappointing end. It took a minute to dawn on me that it wasn’t just the end of the match – it was the end of the season.
‘Til Lambs Become Lions
“I’m not who you think I am.” It was a surprise to hear this in prayer as I’ve spent much of my adult life seeking to know God. Graduate school, life’s school, personal study, and experience all have led me to conclusions hard-won and proved in the quest to know God more. And now, I hear God saying, “I’m not who you think I am.” It gave me pause.
In Vision
From the beginning, Peter was all in. Jesus said leave everything, and he did. From early on, Peter said what he thought, when he thought it, and how he thought it. And the “it” was usually his opinion about how things should go. Jesus did not hesitate to set him straight.
In Peace
“Are we next?” Sitting behind a locked door (which in actuality would not keep anyone out), conversation paused each time someone passed by the door. Emotions, too weighty for words, sat heavily in the room. What was going on? The women say Jesus has risen from the dead. As soon as the words sank in, we fell all over each other trying to go see for ourselves. His body is gone – that much is certain.
In Authenticity
When Jesus came to Mary in the garden after his resurrection, it’s hard for me to understand why she didn’t recognize him. She had been around him, knew his form, his smell, his humor, his passion…and despite all that, she didn’t recognize him until he spoke her name.
