Happy Easter

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise." And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marvelling at what had happened.

(Luke Chapter 24, verses 1-12, ESV translation)

I love that the apostles dismissed the apparent witterings of the women as "an idle tale" ... somehow adds authenticity to the account for me... I mean, if you were writing this account with grandiose intentions to perpetuate a myth, wouldn't you have these apostles instantly amazed and ALL rushing off to check the account for themselves...all INSTANTLY recalling and understanding what Jesus had said to them before his death? Instead we meet a group of grieving, bewildered individuals (ok, I know you don't get all of that from this excerpt) who dismiss the women's account as some wild grief-stricken ravings ... and yet from this weak nucleus the church grew and would not be silenced despite opposition from all the established powers and authorities of the age (and continues to grow in the areas of the world where it is most opposed today... Jesus' message of love and hope seems to thrive where there is adversity to it)

Whether you've stumbled across this from a position of belief, skepticism or another place entirely on the spectrum, I hope you are having a lovely Easter.
xx