God's Truths Burst Through All Around Us

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.

Matthew 28:1-6

      
   We had a great group gather on Sunday evening to watch one of Disney's latest hit movies, Tangled. We invited the families from Allen Elementary to join us, and many of them did!  What a privilege to be host to our neighbors for a night of fun.

   Near the end of the movie, when things are still in doubt, there comes a moment when the only thing that will save the day is a miracle. Evil seems to be winning and the good guys need something divine to happen. Just then, when all hope seems lost, a ray of light begins to shine in the darkness.  Death is conquered, and light burst forth into the room and into the life of the hero who previously lay lifeless.  I turned to Lillian Woolridge, sitting next to me, and asked, "Have you ever wondered what the moment of Christ's Resurrection looked like?"  She looked back at me, thinking I was crazy, and we continued watching the movie.
   I cannot help it; the themes of God's Holy Scriptures seem to appear in the most random, and often most divine moments. Redemption, forgiveness, peace, creation, discipleship, faith, doubt, fear, plenty, sacrifice...these are the truths and concepts we read in the bible, and see lived out around us.  For a moment on Sunday night, sitting in a crowd watching an animated movie, I was drawn closer to God’s grace on that Easter Sunday morning that Matthew captured with the verses above.
   We claim that the Bible is the Living Word of God.  Maybe this is one part of it: the truths of the Bible are alive because they continue living on in our lives. I pray that as we move outward from Easter, we do so with eyes wide open to the amazing stories of redemption and triumph God is delivering around us, even now.