Voices from the Early Easter Darkness

It was still dark when I woke up this morning. The first thing I felt was the ache in my back from the hard floor. I turned on my side. That helped some. I drew up my knees and tried to cover myself with my cloak, but I could not hide from what happened yesterday. His death wipes away all that I have lived and believed in for three years. I tried to muffle the sob that burst out of me, but I think it woke the others. I heard someone stir and another one cough.

Will they come for us too? Will we be beaten and crucified? Peter said we should stay here and not go out, but many knew we met here last night. This will be the first place they look.

Does it matter anyway? The rest of my days will be only a shallow, shadow life without him and the purpose that had filled me and made me alive for so long. Huddled inside my cloak, I hide against the day. It would be better if my life were over, the living part of it, not just the meaning and the joy.

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“Come, Mary. It’s time to wake up. There are things we must do. Everyone is depending on us. I know, I know. I did not want to wake up either. I did not want to face this cold, empty day, but we must. We must purify his body for death and not let him go naked into that damp earth. Please get up now. Dawn will be coming soon. What? — No, I do not know. I do not know who will roll away that stone. We will worry about that when we get there. Somehow God will take care of it for us. Just get up now. Please.”

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At last that charlatan is gone. No more lies from his blasphemous mouth, no more shouting about the law and the prophets, as if some ignorant peasant could know anything. Now our faith is safe again, and we can keep ourselves united and strong against the Romans. The guards will make sure his followers cannot steal his body and pretend he has risen from the dead. The wretches and misfits that followed him around are nothing to worry about. They are only backwater fishermen and beggars. I had a good sleep last night. There will be many more good ones to come. Thanks be to God.