The three photos above are symbols of colour with a special meaning. The photo taken around the time of retirement of Anna from the MOSC Medical College with a group of students and residents represent years of association and friendships. We have had association with all of them in different ways. We still have contacts with some of them.
This group with whom we were able to associate in different ways brought colour to our lives. We felt loved and cared for. Anna helped most of them in their research projects and assisted them in the publication of their research. One of the reasons why our twelve years at MOSC Medical College was a fulfilling experience was this foster group of students and residents who found their way forward in life!
When I saw the birds in the above photographs sing while perched in different flight stations in our garden, I felt that they were singing the chorus of delight and gladness of the Eastertide!
One passage in the gospel of John, defined a new relationship between the mother of Jesus and the disciple John (John 19:26-27). Turning to Mary, Jesus said while hanging in the cross, 'Woman, behold your son' and turning to the disciple Jesus said, 'Behold your mother'! From that time, 'the disciple took her into the household' (v27).
A new relationship was formed!
The cross therefore became a symbol of a new relationship in human family! We are to each other relationally in new dispensation of belonging to each other.
On the day of the resurrection, it was Mary Magdalene who arrived at the tomb of Jesus while it was still dark. The impression that she conveyed to Peter, when she saw the stone at the mouth of the tomb moved away, was that: 'They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid him' (John 20:2). Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb. The two were running together initially. Later the other disciple ran faster than Peter to arrive at the tomb first. Both of them verified that the face cloth and the linen were in the tomb and not His body.
In the narrative of the gospel of Matthew in chapter 28 there is a reference to a severe earthquake and an angel of the Lord removing the stone and sitting on it (v 2).
What is rather disturbing is John's description of what happened next: 'For as yet, they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. So the disciples went away again to their homes' (v 9, 10).
In Luke's version of what happened, there is a reference to how the words of women appeared to the 11 disciples as ' nonsense and they would not believe them' (Luke 24:11). I presume such reactions can occur when people are grief stricken and frozen! The consolation is that Peter having been to the tomb 'went away to his home marveling at that which had happened'(v 12).
It was Mary who was standing outside the tomb weeping (v11) who heard the voice, 'Woman why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?' Mary thought Him to be the gardener. It was when Mary heard her name being called, she recognised that He was Jesus. Her response was Rabboni!
The announcement of Mary to the disciples that 'I have seen the Lord' (v18 ) became the first announcement about the resurrection.
Mary came seeking early in the morning. She was one of the women who prepared spice earlier and rested on the Sabbath (Luke 23:55,56).
It is those who seek who shall find! The difference between Mary and the other two disciples who returned to their homes after seeing the empty tomb, was Mary was not satisfied by the empty tomb. Mary waited to find the risen Lord!
Mary initially thought Jesus to be the gardener!
Mary was at a cross road for a while! The empty tomb and subsequently substituting Jesus for the gardener!
It is while we are at a cross road, we are likely to miss the presence of Jesus hidden in our circumstance. If the cross road became a burden to go through and not a transient passage to meet God waiting for us, we can go through such experiences of bereft of hope and peace! Mary slipped into that precipice for a while. Mary was weeping seeing the empty tomb.
The turbulence of the situation blinds our sight and dulls our perception.
Mary beheld two angels sitting in the tomb and turned around and beheld Jesus (v 12-14).
Mary had focussed on the tomb, stone that was rolled away and the empty tomb.
Mary turned away from that preoccupation to have glimpse of the garden around ; it was then Mary saw Jesus, although thought of Him to be the gardener. Following this she became ready to go and meet the disciples.
This is the story of most of us-incremental awareness of God in our lives! Initially we stay drowned in our difficulties, disappointments or sorrow. As we tarry and turn our attention to the one Who said, 'I am with you always..', we would hear the whispering voice of love and personal affirmation.
It is now 18 months since I faced a difficult season in my life related to the work that I was engaged in for 12 years! I stayed seeing the empty tomb before me for a while. It was out of that cross road, I found myself carried forward in a surprising way, with a clear purpose and direction for my post retirement years.
Sometimes we do not grieve enough for our losses. Mary was weeping seeing the empty tomb. Grieving is a passage into growth. When grief becomes a heart experience, we feel a new energy within to look beyond grief. It is only when we reach the depth of our grief, we can sense the light that is dawning upon us to lead us further.
The other day I was reading an article written by late Dr Rachel Chacko, in the CMC Vellore publication, Hundred years, Hundred stories published at the time of celebrating 100 years of medical education. While talking about her time as a student as one of the 25 students in the first batch of MBBS students in 1942, she wrote this:
' The high light of the week was the Monday morning chapel service, when Dr Ida Scudder led the meditation, usually accompanied by the singing of her favourite hymns such as, Be Thou my vision, or The Lord's my shepherd. Dr Ida although quite old at that time, continued to take an active interest in the affairs of the college and its students. She was gentle and loving to all-students, staff and patients and yet had stringent standards and high expectations of everybody involved in the mission to love and serve. Her presence was like a warm benediction- the warmth of a heart that freely gave itself to anyone who came in contact with her...' (p12).
The energy and warmth within Dr Scudder sprang from her intimacy with God, which was evident from her daily prayer:
'Father, whose life is within me
Whose love is ever about me,
Grant that Thy life may be maintained in my life today and every day,
That with gladness of heart without haste or confusion of thought,
I may go about my daily tasks,
Conscious of my ability to meet every rightful demand,
Seeing the larger meaning of little things,
And finding beauty and love everywhere'.
The Lord is risen! That is the hope that sustains all those who follow after God's mission in their lives! It is an happy experience !
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
Thank you for this yet another beautiful passage of your thoughts. Felt like having attended a Chapel service on this auspicious day. Happy and blessed Easter to you and your family and to all the readers of this delightful blog.
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