touch and see

Friday April 5th, Luke 24: 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' " 8 Then they remembered his words.  This is when they saw with new eyes and mouths wide open!!!  ;-o  They were still not sure of what was going on and what it all meant.  All they knew was they were left with new eyes and wide open mouths.  Today, most of us are still not sure of what was going on and what it all means.  It is important to note that it was the women who heard this new message first, for it was the women, those marginalized by society in that day as well as ours, who could most clearly hear the message as one of hope.  Power and privilege have a way of plugging the ears and eyes to the love of Christ.  All the teachings from Jesus began to form into a new reality that early morning, and these women, with mouths wide open, were the ones ready to receive it and share it with the rest of the world.  This revelation begs the question then, who are the marginalized ones who can really hear this message of hope today?  Are they the movers and shakers and the writers of books?  Are they the ones who start sentences with, Last night God told me to tell you…?  Are they the ones who start sentences with “those ….. People…. Muslims…. Terrorists…… Liberals….. Conservatives…… etc., etc., etc?  Or is it the ones whose voices are not heard, the least, the lost and the lonely, the ones rejected by the power of the world?  Jesus comes and stands among us greeting us with peace. Take him in your hands and hold him, Touch him now and see.