A new view of that day

It was early on the 1st day of the week. The drone rose into the air, and was guided it via the control pad as it flew through the streets of the city. The people in the room sat there, watching the view on the screen in front of them. Soon the drone was outside the city. They continued to control it as they maneuvered the drone around bushes and trees. Soon the drone drew close to what they were looking for that morning. There were the rocks. Looking around via the camera on the drone, they looked around the scene. There were the guards, on the ground. Zooming down, they could see that they looked like they were dead. They looked at each other in wonderment. What did this mean? Zooming back out, they turned their attention to what they had sent the drone to see. Slowly, the moved the drone closer. It was open. Yes, it was open. What is that all about? It should be closed tight. Slowly moving into the opening, it took a moment for the iris of the camera to open up in the darkness of the room. Looking around via the silent eye, they saw the place they were looking for. It was empty. Wait! What was that? Look what is lying there.

Excitedly they ran into the next room and woke the others. They excitedly told them what they had seen. A couple of them got up and ran into the other room. One was quicker and got there first but didn't look until the other arrived. He looked at the screen and shook his head. This couldn't be the right place. It couldn't be real. He pushed past the others and went into the other room, shaking his head and telling the others that this was all wrong.

Left alone in front of the screen, they used the camera to look around again. There was someone seated there. He held up a sign that said, "Not here. Look elsewhere. Perhaps at the lake." Excitedly, they flew the drone back out into sunshine. And there stood a man. Look! There is someone there. He held a sign up that said, "It is me! Tell them that it is me! And I am OK." Looking at each other, they avoided hugging. They knew they wanted to but they were told to avoid all physical contact. So they smiled and nodded their heads at each other.

They ran into the other room to tell them what they had seen. Avoiding each other, they exclaimed the good news. They had virtually seen him! He was not in that dark old tomb. He was risen! They had seen it virtually. The all looked at each other and cheered, avoiding all physical contact. Jesus had virtually risen from the dead.

Crazy scene? Yes it is. The whole scene on that first day of the week was a scene of physicality. The women physically carried the spices and physically walked up the path. They hugged each other, helping each other through the grief they were feeling. Jesus has physically died upon the cross. The blood had flowed down the wood of the cross. He was physically taken down from the cross and laid physically in the tomb. They held each other in their grief. Sunday morning they walked together, close to each other, closer than 6 feet. When the arrived at the tomb, they were not afraid to enter into the tomb, the place of death. While we know it wasn't, a tomb is a place of terrible odor, a place where a body should be decomposing. They did not care. They were there to care for Jesus' body. They physically saw the angel. They physically saw Jesus. They physically went to the disciples. The disciples physically entered the tomb. The men on the road to Emmaus physically talked with and ate with Jesus. Jesus told them to physically touch His hands, His feet and His side. Touch Him! He was physically alive.

If that was today, would that have happened? We are told to avoid all contact. Do not touch each other because you might spread the disease. I watched a news report this morning telling me that hand shaking should never happen again. Never! It was pointed out that maybe we should do as they do in the Asian culture, bow to each other. Really? Is that what we are to do? Bow because that is what is done in another culture. Don't touch each other?

Are we really that afraid? Before Covid-19, we touched each other. Why is Covid-19 more dangerous? Looking at the death rate, it is lower than that which is from influenza each year. We touch, we hug, we shake hands and we were not afraid. We are being told to be afraid of this. Why? Because we are told to be afraid. When the fear begins to lessen, another issue is brought forward. Continue to be afraid. Be afraid to die!

Today is Ascension Day. It is a reminder of the physicality of life. Jesus physically rose into the sky and enter physically into heaven. We are told that He will come again, physically. When He does, all who died will physically rise from the grave. And those who are still alive will be changed, physically. We will rise to meet Jesus in the air. And these physical bodies will enter into heaven for an eternity.

Yet we are supposed to be afraid of the physicality of life. I have to say, I am not. Am I being foolish? No. I trust in the Lord. I live each day facing death. I know that at any moment my life may end. But I do not fear that. Instead, I live at peace and in assurance of faith each day. I am assured that Christ is with me. If I end up in the hospital, I know that He will be with me there. If I end up on a ventilator, He will be with me there too. But wait, very, very  few actually end up in the hospital and on a ventilator. But because of the 1%, we are to be very afraid. Because less than 10% of people test positive for coronavirus, we are to live in fear. Sorry, I don't. I am not being foolish. I do not rush into the nursing home just because I don't have that fear. I am honoring the fact that the residents might have a better chance at getting the virus and I play it safe.

I look forward to when I can shake your hand again. I will wait till you feel comfortable with it. I will wait till you feel that you are ready to touch again. Then I will give you a hug. I will hold your hand when you are ready. Until then, I respect your feelings. But I also ask that you respect my feelings. I am not being selfish feeling this way. I am trusting the Lord, even as you are trusting Him in your life. Living in that faith together, we will be together again. And we will lift up our hands together in praise to the Lord.