Conference Minister Corner | April 14, 2025

This Holy Week I find myself reflecting upon being entombed. So often we live as “entombed” people - entombed by our attitudes, circumstances, or life choices. Metaphorical “rocks” are everywhere: the rock of disappointment, of insecurity, or of guilt. Or perhaps we find ourselves sealed in by the rocks of arrogance, confusion, addiction, or indifference.

But not all the boulders that entomb us are of our own creating. Social structure also create obstacles. Bias, poverty, greed, violence and all forms of injustice keep us trapped in our tombs as well.

Almost anything that stands between a person and the transforming presence of the Divine can be seen as a stone in need of being rolled away. But why would choose to live as entombed people? Well, our eyes adjust to the dim lighting of the tombs. What is outside can start to feel too intense or too scary.

Here is where the Easter story speaks to us. It is time to move away those rocks that are in the way and leave such tombs. Perhaps we’ll need help from others moving our stones. Perhaps we’ll need to help others in moving their stones. But they all need to go. For it is when such boulders are moved out of the way that we are fully able to experience and embrace the gifts of new life.

Easter blessings, Gordon