“…and went…” Luke 24:9

The women left the tomb. They went.

No doubt they took the same route that brought them to the tomb that early morning, but even though the route may have been the same, they were not. They were significantly different than when they made their way there. Now as they departed the tomb and returned, they were changed by what they saw and now understood. How did they go as they began the journey of being resurrected themselves? How was their movement different?

What did they carry in their hearts as they went to the tomb? What did they carry in their hearts as they went away from the tomb? How do you imagine this departure? Did they run, or was it a measured pace, giving them time to rehearse what they might say upon arrival to the disciples? Was there a skip in their step, or was it a solemn recessional? Was the returning silent, or did they chatter away in their excitement and newly found believing? Did they worry about how the news would be received, or were they confident in the remembering and discovery of the fulfillment of Jesus’s words that he would rise from death? As the first to know, how do you think telling others would feel, even trusted companions and fellow disciples?

How did they see the world differently as they turned their backs on the tomb and went back?

On this first day of the week, this group of women experienced a radical, life-transforming, world-shaking change. They made a journey there and a journey back.

Same path, very different journeys. 

Spend some time praying about this difference in travel. Imagine the women in this resurrection story and how they companion you in your walk to and return from the empty tomb. Recall times in your own experience when you went somewhere and returned a completely changed person. Perhaps take a walk to a place that holds spiritual significance for you, and be intentionally aware as you pray your way there. Spend time at your arrival point, allowing God to enter your heart in a life-affirming way, and then return with an intentional awareness of how you are changed and how your movement and perspective are different.

Went. Such a rich word. 

Love is on the move. Good news travels.

Prayer: Life-giving God, be present fully as I journey to you and with you. Thank you for the gift Christ’s resurrection provides, turning a journey of fear into joy. Amen. Alleluia.

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