No God-forsaken places! That is the
good news of Christ's resurrection. Women went to the tomb grief
stricken. They must have felt that in Jesus' death God had
forsaken them. An angel startled them with earth-shaking news:
"Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who
was crucified. He has been raised. He is not here." (Mark
16:6) Not even the cross and the tomb are God-forsaken places.
What a profound word of hope this
is throughout the world. To those weighed down with guilt and
shame, to those wandering the earth, seeking shelter and safety,
to those longing for hope and hungering for food comes the Good
News: Christ is risen! God has not forsaken you.
"Go tell his disciples and
Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see
him, just as he told you." (Mark 16:7) Words of promise and
challenge spoken to the women at the tomb and to us. Christ is
risen -- alive in the world -- forgiving, loving, reconciling and
setting us free. God's power and presence are everywhere. God will
not be confined even to our churches and cathedrals, nor remain
only in our hearts.
Christ is alive! We go to meet him
in a world of terror and fear. This is God's promise for a new
day. No God-forsaken places!
