The task of the church today is to proclaim and to give witness and testimony about the Resurrection of Jesus. Peter in the first reading from the Act of the Apostles proclaims the Resurrection by telling the story of Jesus - how Jesus started off in Galilee with his Baptism by John - - we are told that he went about doing good by healing all those who were in the power of evil how he preached the Kingdom of God - a Kingdom in which all people even the most excluded would be welcome; a Kingdom in which peace makers would be called children of God; a Kingdom in which victims would be vindicated. That this Kingdom was not some impossible utopia but was realizable when you forgive your brothers and sisters the hurt and evil they have offered you; a kingdom in which the blind, the lame, the hungry, the sick, the enslaved and imprisoned are not written off as necessary casualties of misfortune - but that when you serve them with compassion and mercy you are forming yourself in the likeness of the compassionate God. Jesus came to Jerusalem and the people were in the mood to proclaim him Messiah . Jesus himself challenged the whole order of Temple sacrifice - that the sacrifice that pleased God was not the blood of animals but a forgiving, compassionate heart; that the power and authority of God was not in domination but in service. Jesus preached an order of things that was possible for every human being. It was not reserved for a cast of people who were expert in Mosaic Law or in Temple sacrifices. The chief priests and leaders of the people - thought that such a Kingdom and such a Messiah was a threat to their existence. So they had him executed on a cross. Jesus’s humiliating death on the cross would be proof that he was cursed by God. Death is always a shocking awakening to people around it. It moves people into darkness - it moves people into numbness and silence. It hardens the heart.

You could say that our world today is under a great darkness. War in Palestine is bringing despair to thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people. As we witness events from the comfort of our homes we cannot imagine the trauma of people being driven from their homeland , not knowing what has happened to their husbands or sons . Evil on such a scale just freezes our minds. And we cannot imagine the amount of retribution that is generated in people’s hearts. Waves of revengeful suicide bombing are being born and nursed and dreamt about in people’s hearts. Lies, and deceit and cover-up t make truth almost impossible. And to see this human tragedy repeated in countries like Palestine and Israel, (in my mind Palestine and Israel are two soverign states) and also in countries like Sierre Leone, Angola, China, Afghanistan, and so many other countries that are not on the beaten track of the media. It is easy to turn away from it all and make believe that terrible things are not happening. The cross that dominates our church is a symbol of what the world does to God.

In Luke’s Gospel you have a scene were two disciples are heading out of Jerusalem to an unknown destination called Emmaus. They are trying to escape the events happening in Jerusalem (most of us try to insulate ourselves from tragedy) - Jesus is crucified and they know that his followers and disciples could easily be targeted in the same way. They had hoped that perhaps he would be God’s anointed but the death of Jesus brought things to an end.

In the Gospel reading today John tells us that when the women came to the tomb ‘it was still dark”. In John’s Gospel where the of theme light and darkness, blindness and seeing, play such a dominant role, darkness lasts until someone believes in the risen Christ. The women brought the news that the tomb was empty and then remembered that Jesus had said –“ that he would be crucified , but that on the third day he would rise”. Mary was the first to put it into words -

Resurrection means that death does not have the last word. Alienation, vengeance - paying back murder for murder, hatred for hatred, returning hurt for hurt - generating generations of ethnic hatreds; creating a desert of waste land in the hearts of people; hearts of rock that makes human beings feel that they are avenging gods. Resurrection means also a change of heart from such a heritage.

The disciples who walked away from the violence of Jerusalem, recognized Jesus in the breaking of bread. It dawned on them that Jesus is truly risen. His death is just the beginning. And they turned back to Jerusalem and the church was born. Such a story can be the story of everyone of us. The church marks this conversion of heart with baptism and ongoing renewal of our baptism promises. Today I will invite you to bless yourself with Easter Water and profess your faith in an Easter God and an Easter church. It is when there is resurrection in your ordinary everyday life - when you turn from death to life; from despair to hope; from violence to peace; from hatred to love; if there is that kind of turn around in your life - then resurrection of Jesus become a credible event - otherwise is remains a fairy tale.

The Philosopher Martin Buber gives a great example of how we should respond to foundational stories - like the story of resurrection. He talks about a Rabbi describing how his grandfather used to pray .”My grandfather was paralyzed “ he said. “One day he was asked to tell something that happened with his teacher the great Baalschem. He told how the saintly Baalschem used to leap about and dance while he was at his prayers. And as he went on with the story my grandfather stood up; he was so carried away that he had to show how the master had done it, and started to jump and dance. And from that moment he was cured”.

So as we hear the story of the Resurrection of Christ today - the truest way to hear the story is to become the story. Become a witness to the Resurrection by allowing resurrection to enter your life - turn away from lies; turn away from vengeance - even in your imagination and dreams - be a peacemaker; be compassionate; be a person of hope because the Lord is truly risen (you certainly have enough reasons for pessimism and suspicion – terrorism, pedophile priest )- death has no more power over him. Let the risen Lord be your hope for yourself, and for the church and for humanity and Easter will happen in your heart. This is the day that the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad. Alleluia.