April 2002

'And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here." ' - The Gospel of Mark

"Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told this to the apostles; but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them." - The Gospel of Luke

Dear Members and Friends,

Each year, and many times in between, we preach and teach that Jesus is risen from the grave. Yet, as we consider our behavior and attitudes, I wonder if what we proclaim with our lips is what we believe in our lives.

Consider that in each of the Gospels, women are the first to announce the resurrection, yet in some circles they are still not allowed to preach the word! For us, as American Baptists, this is not an issue, but even so, in how many other areas do we declare Christ as being raised, yet act as though he were still entombed? On how many occasions do we sing aloud to the God of Heaven, constraining him to fit our religion on Earth?

While it was written in language comprehendible to the average person, so much about the Easter Story is the reality of God doing the incredible and incomprehensible. He gave life when only death seemed possible, he brought peace when fear was overwhelming, and he bestowed forgiveness when unspeakable sin seemed to reign supreme.

So why is it that we continue to struggle in understanding and affirming who God can love and how we must live? Why is it that Christians the world over wear crosses on their hearts, but will not reach out and be reconciled to each other? Is it because we truly believe, or because essentially, we do not?

Reading the scripture, and considering the vacillations of my own heart, it occurs to me that perhaps the main reason why God’s actions are so unbelievable is because our faith is so unstable. Indeed, if God were really confined to what we could conceive or easily accept, then there would be no miracles and we would have no Gospel.

So it seems that for us men and women alike, salvation is not based in what we think, teach or even believe, but in what God does – sometimes with us, sometimes in spite of us, always for us. This is the kind of Love that passes all understanding. Thus it will continue to be the Life unimaginable on Earth, yet eternal in Heaven.

From Reverend William J. Keane, Senior Minister of First Baptist Church of Branford