Too Good to be True? (Reflections on Easter 3, Year B)

“While in their joy they were disbelieving…” (Luke 24:41a)

I don’t know about you, but I frequently find myself living in a state of denial. Here’s an example. Back in my show-biz, Hollywood days I was rehearsing a play at a small theater in Burbank. I was called from the set by the arrival of two guests—my buddy Rich (who was visiting with me at the time from Wisconsin) and my neighbor and brother-in-law Bruce. These two had rushed to the theater and interrupted my rehearsal because they had important news to tell me that they figured I should hear without any delay. 

It seems that Rich had been snoozing on my sofa when he heard my phone ring and the answering machine pick up (Remember answering machines? This was about twenty-five years ago, so younger readers may not know what I’m talking about). The voice which recorded a message belonged to my agent, who was calling to tell me that I’d just gotten a recurring role on a network soap opera and that I should return the call immediately. Rich, good pal that he was (and still is), ran next door to my sister and brother-in-law’s apartment. Rich didn’t have a car, so Bruce drove him to the theater to proclaim my good fortune.

I should have been overjoyed by this news, but, instead, I acted like a total jerk and accused the lads of making this story up just to jerk me around. Like Doubting Thomas I insisted upon proof before I could rejoice. This was the career move I had longed for, but somehow I just couldn’t believe that it was really coming true. I called my agent, who confirmed it, and then apologized, to my friends whom I had wronged.

In this Sunday’s appointed Gospel in the revised Common Lectionary, we have that beautiful juxtaposition of both joy and doubt. The disciples just can’t wrap their brains around the goodness and power of God. Eternal life, eternal love, the ongoing soul living forever in the mercy and forgiveness of God just sounds too good to be true, so Jesus has to jump through a hoop to convince them.

Funny, but I still face a protective sense of denial with my congregation in Northeast Philadelphia. God has been overwhelmingly merciful to us over the last fifty-five years, but I just get the feeling we don’t really believe it. We seem to take a pusillanimous shelter in our low expectations, and we say dumb-ass things like, “If we give more outreach money, we’ll fall short on our bills,” or “Young people just don’t want to come to church,” or “People don’t feel comfortable going to Bible study,” or “Our people can’t give any more in offering than they do already,” or “Nobody wants to volunteer anymore.” We seem to find a bizarre form of comfort in our sense of powerlessness.

But aren’t we denying the power of the Holy Spirit and the Gospel to change our lives and our stagnant culture? I mean, c’mon, folks..! We either believe the promise of Scripture or we don’t. If we believe, we should challenge ourselves and others a lot more than we do.

Okay. I’ve already admitted it. I’m as much in denial as anybody else (which, considering the life I lead is not a particularly good thing!), but faith still teaches me this:

Christians are called to be simultaneously joyful and believing. How can we live if we are not?

I hope this was little food for thought this week. Thanks for dropping by, friends.