“You can’t tell people what to believe, you can only tell them stories.” WH Auden
We are entering the 50 days of Easter, another rich, liturgical season in our lives. We hear the stories of the development of the early church and they’re coming together for worship, fellowship and service. We also finally enjoy the fruits of spring and the birth of another, glorious Minnesota summer. As I reflect on the many ways we are connected and linked to one another through our stories, I am recalling a particular chapter of our St. Mark’s story.
During the season of Lent, the St. Mark’s community prayed and walked with Gordon Travis while he was crossing over the river to eternal life. Gordon was a unique combination of part- Shakespearean fool, full of humor, mischief and truth-telling. And he was part-adventurous and compassionate Jesus. He shared his humor, mischief and truth-telling with all of us. He belonged, enjoyed, gave and received the love of Christ at St. Mark’s for over 30 years. His beloved, Susan, however, could trump his Gospel outrageous at every turn. She was his “straight man.” Together, they modeled for all partnered couples at St. Mark’s. The extraordinary gift of ……a counselor in perplexity, a comfort in sorrow and a companion in joy.
Gordon picked up his cross he modeled from the cross of Jesus willingly and in love and devotion to meet the other person’s need. He, like Jesus, voluntarily embraced one another’s burdens and joys. He shared in the suffering and hopes of many people in and beyond St. Mark’s. He told all the chapters of his story, highs and lows, sadnesses and triumphs. It was a story worth telling.
On one of my last visits with him, we held hands. I rubbed his forehead, we shared our love of each other. He said, “I think I want communion.” Susan retrieved bread from the fridge. She brought out their communion goblet from their wedding. She placed her head on his heart. I said, “Gordon, you are Jesus and Susan is the beloved disciple who put his head to Jesus’ breast. We all live close to the heart of Jesus. Thank you, Gordon for showing us Jesus.” We then shared communion.
I realized later that Susan was listening to the heart of God in Gordon. She was listening to his love of Christ, his love of her, his love of us. She was listening to his dying pain and our own pain of loss. I later, realized it was Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter all right there in front of me.
The story of Jesus is our story. He redeems our story. His story gives us meaning, hope, purpose and eternal love. His story leads us to live fully into what it means to love, give and receive. He abides in us, we abide in Him and we abide in each other. His story joins us to all Christians in the mystical, expansive, compassionate heart of God. His story compels us to willingly take up our cross so that others can live more fully. His story reminds me that we all experience brick walls, betrayals, heartbreaks, honest- to-God failures, alienation -- tombs. The Easter story of Jesus is our Easter story, too.
When the women come to Jesus’ tomb. It is rolled back, he is not there. The angels tell them, “He has risen, he has gone to Galilee. Galilee is the everyday places in the world. The places where we all live, work and serve others. Galilee is everywhere.
Easter happens at bedsides, feeding hungry people, greeting strangers. It happens in two countries’ representatives sitting down and exploring a new relationship, embracing differences. It happens when we give up control and accept Christ’s unconditional love of us. Good Friday and Easter happen when we listen to the heartbeat of God in others and in ourselves. Honor your own story. It’s worth telling. Our stories converge with Jesus’ story in the divine love of God, in our own everyday Galilee.
