Anyone know where I can get me an angel - like the one in this gospel?
An angel who'd show up just when and where I need him? And I'm not looking for one of those Christmassy angels floating in a starlit sky, playing a harp, and singing Silent Night. I want an angel like the one here at the tomb! An angel who comes DOWN from heaven. An angel who looks like he works out a Gold's Gym and has the guns you need to roll back the stone - the stone that sealed Jesus in death.
I want an angel who comes down from heaven, rolls back that stone - and then sits on it. How sweet is that? An angel who rolls back the stone of death - the death that threatens to entomb every human heart - and sits on that rock. I'm looking for an angel strong enough to roll back the stone of grief and loss in my heart. An angel who plunks himself down on my heart - like it's his park bench.
I want an angel to do all of that for me. And then to tell me,
“Don't be afraid – all will be well. Don't be amazed that I rolled back a stone! That was nothing. You want amazing? That’s Jesus. Jesus was dead -- dead as a doornail - buried in this tomb -- and he rose from the dead! He's alive! Now, THAT’S really something – THAT’S amazing. But you might want to get a move on, Austin, because he's waiting for you. Jesus is waiting for YOU. Just down the road a piece… he's waiting to meet up with you.”
That's the kind of angel I want in my life, and I guess maybe you might like an angel like that too...
The two women in the gospel who met this angel when they went to visit the tomb of Jesus: they went to the place of their pain, their loss, their grief, their disappointment, their worry and their fear. They visited the place where their hopes had been dashed. Obliterated. They went to that place, even though they knew it was dangerous to go there. It was dangerous because there were Roman guards there, sent by powerful people, people who were very GLAD that Jesus was dead.
But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were holding the death of Jesus in their hearts. And they needed to visit the place of their grief.
If such an angel, an angel like the women encountered, if such an angel would descend from heaven into MY life, I suspect he will meet me in a place I might fear to go, that I want to avoid, a place where my hopes have been dashed.
Such an angel might meet me in the past that I hold onto - and invite me to move on… That angel might meet me in my ego, in my pride - and urge me to get real… That angel might meet me in my blind prejudice - and call me to open my eyes to the truth… The angel might meet me in my stubborn self-pity - and tell me to get a grip… The angel might meet me in my selfishness - and show me how I can be more generous…
That's an angel for me. But there are angels for the WORLD around us.
Might there not be an angel in the midst of the poor - waiting for us, for us who have so much more than we need - might there be an angel waiting for us to visit there, to invite us to share what we have?
Might there be an angel waiting in Ukraine, in Gaza, in Iran - waiting to call ALL sides to mend and heal this broken world of ours, to lay down our arms, to reconcile, and to make peace - that lasts?
Might there be an angel waiting in all four corners of the globe - waiting to call us beyond our SELVES and TO the God who made us? Beyond our damned foolishness - to wisdom. Beyond the whirling death spiral of our greed for more and more, our lust for power, and our contentment with passing things of little or no value…
Might there be an angel waiting to call us beyond all of this TO all in life, all in the world, that is loving, kind, gentle, patient, genuine, life giving, beautiful, whole, true, and pure.
Might there be an angel waiting to call us TO the spirit of God who made us, who gave this world to us and entrusted it to our care? The God who loves us, who calls us each by name, who never fails to forgive us. Who gave his only son, his SON, who suffered and laid down his life and died for us. Who rose from the dead to send us angels to call us precisely to that peace for which we all hunger and thirst. And to a life that has no end.
Angels are waiting to meet me in my prayer, in my tears, in the advice of good friends, in nature's beauty, in my heart, in gentle nudges from God and whispers from the Holy Spirit…
When there are angels in my life and angels in your life, we need to slow down, look for them, EXPECT to find them, listen to them, and meet them even in those places - where all our hopes have been dashed.
“Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid because Jesus LIVES, and he knows what you carry in your heart. He's going ahead of you, and wants you to follow him. He's waiting to meet you on your way… down the road. He's leading you to healing and peace. And if you'll follow in his footsteps, you, too, will rise from all that holds you down. You, too, will find peace and life forever."
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