Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Terror and Amazement Seized Them


When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Jesus. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But 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.” So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. Mark 16:1-8 

Terror and Amazement 

Oh we went out with tears in our eyes
dreading but doing our final duties
we came to wash and embalm his body
there was only a bright angel in his place.

We had been through the worst week ever
from delight and joy in Jerusalem's streets
to the worst of violence, deception and greed
we only brought our final sad offerings.

The jars of ointment flew from our hands
one of us sunk to her knees is terror
could we possibly hope for such a promise
could we be the recipients of such miracles?

No one believed us when we ran home
our aging legs becoming young again
our hope and fear carried us along
we saw love which we thought was gone.

Love eternal and yet often unseen
we cling to solid objects and shun it often
tortured and buried and yet rising again
love has come again and we will sing.
 

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