Sermon given by

Katherine Pinkham

John 20: 19-31

Don’t Be Afraid, Pick it Up

 The afternoon was hot and muggy. There was a thunderstorm brewing in the distance and dark clouds were beginning to form. My family was back at the campsite resting, drained from the stifling humidity of the day. We were on vacation in St. Augustine, Florida and while my family slept under the shade of the palm trees, I ran off to explore the beach. Walking into the waves and standing in water up to my waist, I suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of fear. I was eleven years old and as I looked around the shoreline in all directions, I realized that I was totally alone. Frightening thoughts began to swirl in my mind like, “What happens if I got stung by a jelly fish or get pulled under by the force of a wave or attacked by a man eating shark!?           

            Just as my fear was getting the best of my imagination I stepped on something hard on the sand beneath the water. But, I couldn’t see down through the murky water and thinking it might be a crab, I was afraid to move my foot. Then I heard a voice say, “Don’t be afraid, pick it up.” I thought to myself, "No way, I'm not picking it up.” The voice said again, “Don’t be afraid, pick it up.”  So, taking a deep breath, I plunged my hand under the water and pulled up the most perfect 4” white sand dollar. As I turned the shell over and over in my hands admiring its beauty, I thought I had found the most amazing treasure. That evening I gently wrapped it in Kleenex and placed it under my pillow for safe keeping. For days afterwards I kept un wrapping the shell from the tissue to stare at it, delighting in its splendor.

            But it wasn't until the day my family and I happened upon a souvenir shop that I understood what I had truly found. Looking around the shop I came across a sand dollar very similar to mine. Attached to it on a piece of paper was this poem. 

The Legend of the Sand Dollar

There’s a lovely little legend

That I would like to tell

Of the birth and death of Jesus,

Found in this lowly shell.

If you examine closely,

You’ll see that you find here,

Four nail holes and a fifth one,

Made by a Roman’s spear.

On one side the Easter Lilly,

Its center is the star

That appeared unto the shepherds

And led them from afar.

The Christmas Poinsettia

Etched on the other side,

Reminds us of His birthday,

Our happy Christmastide.

Now break the center open,

And here you will release,

The five white doves awaiting,

To spread Good Will and Peace.

This simple little symbol,

Christ left for you and me,

To help us spread His Gospel,

Through all Eternity.

As I read the words my hands began to shake because I knew God was speaking to me. He wanted me to read the poem, to know the story. In my excitement, I ran to tell my parents. When I tried to explain, they said "That's nice dear" looking at me with a loving but rather perplexed expression of disbelief.  So, I doubted myself, my experience and I kept this story tucked away in my heart; afraid to share it for fear what people might think. Years later I mentioned the story to my pastor and she said, “Kate, in the Bible, God often speaks the words, "Do Not Be Afraid."

            I am now convinced God spoke to me that afternoon in a way my child's heart would understand. I was open to the possibility of experiencing the mystery of God, how ever God chose to reach out to me. I now understand what Jesus meant when he said to his disciples, “Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”  So, it seems it is in keeping our hearts open as a child that we may come to experience the mystery of our faith.

            Looking back on this memory of my sand dollar, I remember studying the holes on that fragile shell, knowing they represented the wounds of Jesus’ crucifixion. And, it is the marks of Christ’s wounds that bring me back to this morning’s Gospel reading.

            The story begins with the disciples behind locked doors in the Upper Room, frightened and overwhelmed with the rumors that something happened to Jesus’ body. We know from John’s Gospel that Mary Magdalene was the first to find the tomb empty. After she ran to tell Peter and John the body is missing, they too come to see that the tomb is empty. Hours later when Mary returns one more time, she meets Jesus at the entrance of the tomb. When she realizes that it is the Jesus, she runs to the disciples to announce, “I have seen the Lord.”

            The story tells us that it was the Sunday evening of the day of resurrection, the beginning of the week and the disciples are in the room with the doors locked. What are they afraid of? What are they trying to keep out from behind locked doors? Is it because their teacher was executed like a common criminal? Is it because of all the rumors they heard about Jesus? Were they afraid the authorities would come for them?

            Then suddenly Jesus, the Risen Lord, comes through the locked doors and says "Peace Be with you." He shows them his wounds and breaths on them giving them new life in the Holy Spirit. Like the opening chapter of Genesis where God forms the body of man from dust of the ground and breathes into him the breath of life. And here, new life, the Spirit’s life, comes to the disciples. This breathing of the Spirit marks the beginning of the disciples’ ministry, to teach the forgiveness of sin through the love of Jesus Christ. Needless to say the disciples are excited. They hurry to tell Thomas.

            I don’ think Thomas’ reaction is what the others expected, but it may be similar to what ours might have been. Sometimes it is hard to believe the stories of others who say they have experienced God. In the back of our minds we may think, “You say you've seen the Lord, well, I wish I’d been there, too.  But I can’t believe until I encounter God for myself.” The tension we live in as Christians, between faith and doubt, is captured in the words of a poem by Denise Levertov, “I believe and interrupt my belief with doubt. I doubt and interrupt my doubt with belief…”

            So Thomas decides, a week later, to join the other disciples, he wants to believe, too. And, again the disciples go behind locked doors. What are they still afraid of? Has doubt interrupted their belief?

            Then Jesus comes and shows the nail marks to Thomas, and it is Thomas, not the other disciples, that makes the profound statement “My Lord and My God.” Though startled by the experience Thomas' reaction is one of believe, not doubt. He gets it! Being in the presence of God, the Risen Lord is the mystery of our faith. Some things cannot be explained or seen or touched but must be simple accepted as mystery, truth that is beyond our understanding.

            During last month’s Lenten Journey we shared stories of our experiences of being in the presence of God. We learned in sharing our stories, God’s love for us becomes real. As Christians we need to hear the stories of other people’s experiences of God and we need them to listen to ours. In sharing together we help each other see the Holy One walking within our midst.

            This reminds be of a story I read recently of a husband and wife visiting in downtown Denver, Colorado. They said it was a beautiful day, crystal clear, no humidity, and not a cloud in the sky. They decided to walk ten blocks to an outdoor restaurant rather then take the shuttle bus. As they sat at a table outside, the sun continued to beat down on them and it became increasingly hot. There was absolutely no breeze. After lunch they decided to walk back to their hotel.