Easter and Emptiness

Mary Magdalene and two other women encountered a massive void when they showed up at the empty tomb, one that was as overwhelming as anything at the edge of the universe was. It was early when they arrived, and after meeting a young man and hearing about the resurrection “they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid” (Mark 16:8).

Can you imagine how empty Mary is feeling at this point? She has already suffered the crucifixion of her friend and teacher Jesus, and she is mourning his death deeply. Now she goes to his tomb to pay her respects. What does she find? Nothing. A huge cold spot. She did not know that you have to pass through some empty tombs on the way to resurrection life.

We know what this feels like, do we not? Each of us, at some time in life, comes face to face with a massive void, a big empty place. 

It happens …

• when you give your heart to someone who doesn’t accept the gift

• when you learn a sport, practice hard and still don’t make the team

• when you study and pursue a profession, only to find you hate your work

• when you create something beautiful, and discover that no one’s interested

• when you try to resist a temptation, but then give in to it again and again

• when you jump to a new job, then lose it in a downsizing

• when you put money into a home, only to see your equity disappear

• when you retire from a long career, and wake up with nothing to do

• when you lose a spouse to cancer, and find yourself all alone in the world. 

These are huge cold spots.

Massive voids.

Too often, we try to pretend that there are no massive voids in our lives, no empty places. Sociologist Jean Twenge, in The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement (2009) observes that young adults in particular have been told things such as “believe in yourself and you can do anything” — which is not very good advice. The truth is, bad things can happen to good people, and not every goal in life is realistic. You may believe that you are going to earn a graduate degree and get a great job, along with a perfect family in a beautifully decorated home, but life does not always give you what you want. Twenge thinks that overblown expectations are largely to blame for the recent rise in anxiety and depression in young adults. She says, “It’s depressing to realize that your unrealistic dreams are never going to come true.”

We are all going to face some empty places in life, and we need to take them seriously. You cannot expect to step into a dream job right out of college. Most of us are going to endure a lot of heartbreak before we find a partner for life. Loss and rejection are a part of just about every life story you can imagine. You have to pass through some empty tombs on the way to resurrection life.

Mary and her companions make this journey as they flee from the tomb. They do not fall into the trap of thinking that if they believe in themselves, they can do anything. Instead, they feel a blast of alarm, terror, amazement and fear — and these emotions set them up for the surprising reality of the resurrection.

They quickly discover that Easter is not about them — instead, it is about God. In particular, it is about God filling the empty places in our lives with new and unexpected life.