“….and told all this to….”

The first to see, the first to tell.

The women returned to the apostles with quite a story to share.

The unusual details: the stone rolled away, the absence of the body, the dazzling visitors whose gleaming countenance and words filled the early morning, helping them to understand what happened.

There was so much about it that was not as it should be, but exactly how Jesus said it would be.

When something extraordinary happens, talking about it, telling the story of it, helps make it real. Giving words to an experience solidifies and helps the teller process, integrate, and verify their experience.

There is power in telling. There is great power in this witness. There is holiness and healing in sharing the story. What happened to these women, now given words to a community, births a truth, unleashes God’s presence to others, and continues the unfolding of resurrection amid the tellers and the hearers.

How did they start? Perhaps with a gentle warning. “We have something difficult to tell you that is actually amazing.” Or “So, this is going to be hard to believe, but it’s true. We went to the tomb this morning and…” Or did they start as did the messengers: “Remember how Jesus told us he would be arrested, crucified, and then would rise on the third day? Remember that? Well, he didn’t make that up…” Or did they just launch right in and share the facts and the details of the morning and let the apostles come to their own conclusions? Did each of them speak and share in the telling, or was one spokeswoman chosen on the way to speak on their behalf? “Mary, you tell them. They’ll believe you.” In whatever way they told the story, scripture tells us that they told all of it. They left nothing out.

Today, spend some time in prayer using your imagination. Choose one of these women, one of these first to see and first to tell. Do a guided meditation: see yourself as this witness leaving the tomb and arriving at where the apostles were staying. Tell the story of your morning at the tomb. Listen to your words, the response of reception, the feelings, and the mood of the room as you tell. How does having companions with you who shared in the experience help you in your telling? What does telling do to your believing? How is your heart helped by sharing this story? Stay with just the telling for now. There is more to come tomorrow in this tale.

Prayer: Give me the strength of faith to share your story. Give me the courage to speak your Good News and witness resurrection that others may receive your lifegiving power. Amen. Alleluia.

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