When All Seems Lost

Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?' She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord..." John 20:11 Who of us has not wept over the loss of something precious in our life? None of us are immune from the suffering of loss. Great or small, loss befalls us all. I know many people, myself included, who like Mary, stand and stare at our lives now bereft of some precious aspect and wonder what went wrong with the plan. Can you relate to this demand upon life for explication for a seeming bum deal? Our human impulse demands explanation because there is no room in our mortal understanding for acceptance without a justification for our loss. It was "our plan" and it was a good one, wasn't it? We did our homework, researched the possibilities, honed our talents, put forth our best effort, and expected we could achieve whatever we believed. And when the day of reckoning comes, and we haven't achieved our dream, or we have lost something deeply precious to us, how do we go on with renewed hope and zeal for life? This is the significance of Easter; the renewal promise of spring that covenants new life despite all appearances of death. In our season of loss, we should remember that the spring follows the barren landscape of winter, because just as our spot on the planet moves through cycles of light and dark, warmth and cold, so does a human life. Nothing personal, mind you, just the arising of circumstances that bear witness to the unpredictability inherent in our human dramas on earth. Into your life and mine, rain will fall and sun will shine. The pattern will repeat. Our response to the unpredictable losses in life is where we have control, and where our capacity for equanimity, peace, and even joy in the midst of difficulty lies. While Mary was staring into the empty tomb she is asked by the angels, and moments later by Jesus, why she is weeping. Of course from a human perspective we understand her sorrow. But there's more going on than meets the eye. She is invited to see, as are we, the evidence of Life energy within us and around us. From the enlightened perspective, that sees beyond appearances of loss, Life goes on. When we attach to a person or a set of circumstances our very sense of self-worth and wholeness is vulnerable to loss when they leave us or fail us. But the good news that Easter proclaims is that Life is not restricted to a body, nor can it be contained by any tomb. Life is irrepressible. It may change form and for a time seem to be lost, but it cannot be. The Infinite life that we call God is everywhere present in its fullness at every point in time and space. Our work is deeply spiritual at times. We are asked to face difficulty and not stop there, but look deep within ourselves for the wellspring of life - for the Light that enlightens every man and woman who comes into the world. Sorrow has its place and we can weep for a time. Ultimately we must gather our spiritual faith and go looking for the light. Only the light of truth will provide the revelation that can move the stone away from our heart. Only our deepest awareness of Life within reveals the new life that awaits us and beckons us onward. Time and again we have arisen from difficulty and discovered qualities within us that we would not have known had we not been forced to explore the depths of our being. The paradox of spiritual truth once again reminds us to reverse our search. Where we fail to see the good we seek outwardly, Truth would turn us around to find the ever-present essence of Life in its abundance within us. Here despite appearances of loss, the lily blooms again. With you in faith and love, Rev. Larry