“They couldn’t not tell their story. They couldn’t not follow … The Easter Story reminds me that on the other side of silence is life.”
By Kathy Escobar | Twitter: @kathyescobar
It’s resurrection morning. Most everyone’s sound asleep, heavy laden with the reality that Jesus of Nazareth, the healer, the prophet, the promised Messiah, the hope they had been waiting for, was dead. Not even dead of natural causes, but brutally crucified right in front of their very eyes.
Hope was dashed. Reality set back in.
Maybe the deeply engrained system of oppression wouldn’t topple after all.
So much for the “good news.”
Who does she think she is?
But Mary, devoted and brave Mary, goes to the tomb and finds Jesus gone, against all odds.
In that wild, surreal moment, she felt afraid. (I can only imagine how freaked out she must have felt.) But Jesus encouraged her. Go, tell the others, he said.
She ran from her encounter, proclaiming, “I have seen the Lord!” Some probably thought she was crazy, wondering if maybe she was still reeling from the shock of the past few days. Others may have muttered under their breath “Who does she think she is, carrying on like that?” And yet others may have said, “Oh great, here she goes again …”
But she couldn’t be silenced.
She had seen the Lord.
________________
I was not raised in church but I always had a sincere desire to pursue God. When I read the gospel stories in the New Testament I was completely captivated by Jesus, strangely drawn to him like a moth to a flame. I had no training or mentoring, no one showing me the way. I just started walking that direction, with no rules to follow or “this is how to be a Christian” guidelines to worry about.
Through an interesting turn of events, I ended up at a conservative Christian college. I couldn’t for the life of me understand why women were never allowed to lead anything in church, not even hold the communion elements. I remember being incredulous about the lack of equality, thinking, “Why in the world would you be in a church that didn’t let you be you?”
But, it wasn’t long that I ended up on the same path, quietly following the herd, thinking “they must know more than me”; next thing I knew, I found myself in systems that tried to silence me, too.
Mary could not be silenced. So many other women in the gospel stories could not be silenced. They cut through all kinds of convention, risked more than just disdain, because of their devotion. They couldn’t not tell their story. They couldn’t not follow. They couldn’t not be true to their heart, no matter the cost.
Silence is a form of death.
The Easter Story reminds us that on the other side of death is life. That what was dead can be resurrected, made new, and set free. That against all odds, love prevails.
The Easter Story also reminds me that on the other side of silence is life. That once we, like Mary, “have seen the Lord”–whatever that looks like for each of us–we cannot stay quiet. We must tell our stories of resurrection. People will look at us and think we’re a little crazy. They may mutter, “who does she think she is?” and “there she goes again” but we can’t stay silent.
What was dead can be raised to life.
The tomb is empty.
Love prevails.
We can’t be silenced.
___________________
About Kathy:
Kathy Escobar co-pastors The Refuge (www.therefugeonline.org), an eclectic faith community in North Denver dedicated to those on the margins of life and faith. She blogs regularly about life and faith at www.kathyescobar.com and her book is called Down We Go–Living out the Wild Ways of Jesus in Action. She lives in Arvada, Colorado with her husband, Jose, and five kids.
If you only know one thing about me, I’d love for you to know this: I love Jesus, justice and living juicy.
I also happen to drive a minivan and drink my lattes plain. (My life is exciting enough!)
Nineteen years ago, I moved from Taiwan to Canada to marry Scott. We have two teenagers, a preteen, a Bernese Mountain dog and a restaurant. (Ask Scott to tell you our love story.)
In 2010, I founded SheLovesmagazine.com and it has now grown to include a Dangerous Women membership community, a Red Couch Bookclub, events and gatherings. I’d like to think of it as curating transformational spaces for women in community. I long for women to be strong in our faith and voice, so we can be advocates for God’s heart for justice here on earth.
As an Afrikaner woman, born and raised in South Africa during Apartheid, my story humbly compels me to step out for justice and everyday peacemaking. I have also seen firsthand the impact injustice has had on the lives and stories of women around the world. I refuse to stay silent.
I am anti-racist and also a recovering racist. I am a Seven on the Enneagram, an INFP and I mostly wear black, with a dash of animal print or faux fur.
