Theological Journal 2020

January  2

                     Nothing may be more pertinent this new year than learning a genuinely Christian way of encountering and experiencing the risen Christ in our life and world. Mary Magdalene is our mentor here. Lingering, listening, learning. That’s the way she encountered the risen Christ (Jn.20:11-18).

-Mary lingers at the tomb. The intersection of death and resurrection is where the risen one is always found. That’s where we’ll find him in our lives. And in our world. The resurrected one turns the stench of death into an aroma of life. Where are the places of death in your life? In your world. Do you linger there expecting to meet him in life-giving power? Is the theology of the cross your theology?

-Mary also listens. She is intentional about finding him at this intersection of death-transformed-into-life. Mary searches and wonders and questions. Lingering positions her to encounter the risen Christ but there is nothing automatic about it. Listening in her lingering, perhaps we could call it active lingering, leads to the encounter.

-Finally, Mary learns by her listening. And though this learning comes through her listening, it is not the fruit of her effort. It is grace. It is Christ reaching out to her in his new life, piercing the veil of death that hides him from her and turns the stench of death into the aroma of life. And he does this for her by calling her name, “Mary.” She learns first and foremost that he knows her. Really knows her. The real her. And she learns that he has work for her to do. After all, the risen Jesus makes her the first apostle! As well as our mentor for learning how to experience his risen presence and power. And she learns that hearing and heeding his word are two sides of the same coin. You don’t have the one without the other.

So let us learn from Mary. Let us take up our post at the margins of our world where death    pretends to reign. And linger there in order to listen to where and how Christ is bringing life there and learn to hear him call our names and what he calls us to do as we minister the life we discover into the death that pervades so much of our world.