hope reborn

Thursday April 24^th, Matthew 28:    After the Sabbath, as the first light of the new week dawned, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to keep vigil at the tomb. Suddenly the earth reeled and rocked under their feet as God's angel came down from heaven, came right up to where they were standing. He rolled back the stone and then sat on it. Shafts of lightning blazed from him. His garments shimmered snow-white. The guards at the tomb were scared to death. They were so frightened, they couldn't move. Why do you think God always seems to use the marginalized in society as the witnesses and the messengers of the good news of God’s grace?  The disciples never seem to get it, but the Samaritan woman at the well does, Mary and Mary seem to get it, Nicodemus seems to get it, the woman anointing Jesus with the bottle of ointment seems to get it, and the list goes on and on.   I think that Jesus is good news only for those who, in the deep reaches of their souls, long for something different, long for hope that things will change, long for the grace that can only come from God.  The mainstream often seems to be vested in maintaining what is, keeping its power base going.  It is those in the margins that are looking for hope that will come and lives that will change, especially their own lives.  Mary and Mary, keeping watch, waiting for the dawn while others are sleeping soundly; they are the ones who see.  And what they see is hope reborn.