Week 29 - A new reality is presented

Theme:

The strong inner movements experienced by the first witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection call us to believe in the new reality of the resurrection: Jesus is still present.

What I may wish to ask:

That I can let this new, unexpected life come to me. That I can feel connected with these first witnesses.

We let the music wash over us and wait to see if we can encounter God in the stillness which underlies this music: God who looks at us with love.

Music:

Spiegel im Spiegel – Arvo Pärt

(Martin Roscoe op piano en Tasmin Little op viool)

Spotify Link: (Scroll down to number 17 on disc 6. The link takes you to number 17 on disc 1) https://open.spotify.com/track/1zlBqfLdZUejf7mlNAm6Ak?si=0ac7a820aed647b4

YouTube Link:

https://youtu.be/gpPPM7d-x20?si=iQ53bIMylk1LvueX

John 20:11-16

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 

It is dawn, the night is barely over when Mary Mag’dalene returns to Jesus’ grave. Instead of the body of her Jesus, she finds two angels dressed in white. The colour white stands for God’s messengers, for light in the darkness, for hope and consolation.

I imagine that I am present here and I search for a place to observe this scene. I watch and listen attentively to the angels and to Mary.

I ask God to let me see whether there are also angels present during my moments of darkness and deep sorrow: angels who give me light in the darkness, hope or consolation.

*

Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rab-bo′ni!” (which means Teacher). 

In this story Mary turns round twice: firstly away from the grave and death towards the person she assumes is the gardener. Later she recognises Jesus only when He calls her by her name. Then she turns round again.

Sometimes we need time in order to recognise Jesus and we have to change the way we look at things several times to be able to see the new reality. I ask that God will let me see when this has taken place in my own life, maybe even in the last few days or weeks.

*

`We allow the music to pass through us and we wait to see whether, in the stillness which hides within the music, we are able to hear Jesus also calling us by name.

*

Music:

Spiegel im Spiegel – Arvo Pärt