When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 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.” — Mark 16:1-7
On Ash Wednesday, at the beginning of our trek into the Dark Woods, we heard of Peter’s sinking failure as a spiritual gift. Even towards the end, Peter fails to keep his promise to his beloved Jesus, denying any association with him three times when the going got rough. But again it is this utter failure that will guide and strengthen him for what came next. Upon this sinking rock, the church was built and expanded to include others considered “other” or “unworthy.”
The story of all those who surrounded Jesus parallels our own failures, fears, and missteps.
Where do we go from here? We journey into our fullness, continuing to embrace the Gifts of the Dark wood where the Spirit beckons us into extraordinary life!