Imagine how you would feel if soon after the burial of a close friend or family member you went to the cemetery, only to find that the grave had been opened and the body gone.
Our reaction would be one of shock and distress. To not know precisely where our loved one's body is located is indeed very traumatic.
Such is the experience of the families and friends of those aboard Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared last month en route to China.
It was also the experience of Mary Magdalene when she went visit Jesus' tomb only to discover that it was empty.
John's gospel tells us that after discovering the empty tomb, Mary went running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said
''They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!'' (John 20:1-2)
In terms of the grieving process, it is very important for us all to know the place where the bodies or remains of our family members and friends are laid to rest. Where we are buried is important.
Sometimes there are disagreements within families/whanau regarding the most appropriate place to bury our loved ones.
It can be traumatic for a body to be taken away from where some members of the family/whanau believe our loved one should be buried.
Our lives are full of trauma and loss. Often we, like Mary, don't know what is going on.
We feel out of control and powerless when we, like Mary, come across situations we cannot understand.
Mary stood outside the empty tomb crying. Then, angelic voices spoke to her from the place where Jesus' body had been.
The angels asked her ''Woman, why are you crying?'' ''They have taken my Lord away,'' she said, ''and I don't know where they have put him.''
Mary turned around and encountered a man, whom initially she did not recognise. This man echoed the question of the angels, asking her why she was crying.
He then went on to ask her who she was looking for. Thinking he was the gardener, she said, ''Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.''
Jesus said to her, ''Mary.''
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, ''Rabboni!'' (which means ''Teacher'').
In the midst of our grief and sorrow, when we are perplexed and completely lost, when we struggle to understand what is happening or to know where our loved ones have gone, Jesus comes to us and calls us by name, standing with us in our pain, reassuring us that he is still present and that there is hope for the future.
After her encounter with Jesus, Mary Magdalene ran to the disciples with the news: ''I have seen the Lord!''
And she told them all that he had shared with her. Mary's conversation and relationship with Jesus continued after his death.
This was the experience of the early church, and can be our experience today.
The Easter story reminds us that God's love is more powerful than death, and that Jesus our Lord is risen.
His resurrection presence and influence continues to bring us hope in our despair.
This is a spiritual experience. We, like Mary and those first disciples, are invited to follow Jesus and trust that he will heal and guide us.
This Easter, may the love of God and the resurrection presence of Jesus Christ our Lord grant hope and new beginnings to the families and friends of the passengers and crew of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, the parents and families of young people who have taken their own lives, and all who grieve.
- Guest editorial by the Rev Greg Hughson, Otago University Chaplain
