But the young man said to them, “Don’t be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised. He isn’t here. Look, here’s the place where they laid him. Go, tell his disciples, especially Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.” Mark 16:6-7
Walking Through the Darkness
Scott Carlson
In one of the Churches I have served, the Trustee’s changed the lighting in the bathrooms to come on automatically when people walked into the bathroom. It was a really nice way to save on electrical costs.
One night, during an evening of church programming, I happened to see a younger boy (who was in his early elementary school years) open the door to this bathroom. He took a step in and just froze, because the light had not turned on. I could sense the fear he was feeling. So I just said, “Take another step or two, it will be okay. The light will come on. If you like, I can stand here at the door until the light comes on.”
He indicated to me, that he would like me to stand at the door until it came on. Then he took another couple of steps, and the light, indeed came on. I could see the relief in his eyes when it happened.
It is hard to walk into unknown territory. It is hard to walk through the darkness at times, not knowing when the light will actually come one.
In these days of walking through the unknown, I am reminded that we are not the only people of faith to ever walk through such times. During this season of Easter, I am reminded that even the disciples were walking the unknown time of going from grieving, to trying to figure out what it meant that Jesus was alive. Several of our Gospels remind us, like Mark does, that Jesus is going before us. All we need to do is keep looking to him. May we keep trusting in the One who called us and walks before us.
Prayer
Loving God, when we face darkness, help us to turn to you. Help us to remember that you are the one who has called us. Help us to keep walking into the future. Give us the courage we need for these days. Give us the hope we need. Give us the energy we need. Help us to stay connected with one another, because that helps us to stay connected to you. Amen