“Take a guard”, Pilate answered. Go make the tomb as secure as you know how.”
Matt. 27:65
Matt. 27:65
The Easter story does a little jump over Easter Saturday. The above scripture is the only event mentioned in the four gospels. Being the Sabbath, the entire Jewish community was in a “lockdown” of its own, observing the customary requirements of an enforced day of rest. The crucifixion story was in a state of limbo, much as we are at present due to the Pandemic. The grieving family and friends of Jesus could not attend to his body in the customary way until after the Sabbath had passed. There were countless limits and restrictions placed on everybody at the same time, much as there are on us today. For all of us the desire to re-engage with normal unregulated activity has been put on hold, no matter how pressing the things are we have to do. When at last the Sabbath was over the three Marys were ready and equipped with spices to prepare Jesus’ body, but on finding the tomb empty, they were denied their chance to serve him one last time.
Yesterday we heard of a New Zealand woman in her nineties who died from the Corona virus, contracted somehow in her otherwise secure Rest Home. No family were allowed to attend her. She died among strangers, and her body prepared in cold isolation from everyone. Thankfully, she is only the second person to die from this dreaded disease in this country. When I heard her story on the news, I spared a thought for the three Marys too.
What useful things may we now do with our time before we are safe to be released from our imposed isolation? Will it be simply filled with mindless entertainment and trips to the fridge? Or will the forced slowdown teach us afresh the value of our relationships, and the benefits from taking time to nurture and to cherish? Hopefully so. May it last.
Barry Struthers
Yesterday we heard of a New Zealand woman in her nineties who died from the Corona virus, contracted somehow in her otherwise secure Rest Home. No family were allowed to attend her. She died among strangers, and her body prepared in cold isolation from everyone. Thankfully, she is only the second person to die from this dreaded disease in this country. When I heard her story on the news, I spared a thought for the three Marys too.
What useful things may we now do with our time before we are safe to be released from our imposed isolation? Will it be simply filled with mindless entertainment and trips to the fridge? Or will the forced slowdown teach us afresh the value of our relationships, and the benefits from taking time to nurture and to cherish? Hopefully so. May it last.
Barry Struthers
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