Encounter
I was in my mid-30s before I finally heard—with my heart and not just my ears—the encounter of Mary Magdalene and the Risen Christ on Easter Morning. Mary is distraught after arriving at the tomb to find Jesus’ body gone (John 20:11-18). She sees a man, a possible gardener, and asks where he might have taken her beloved friend. It isn’t until he calls her by name, “Mary,” that she recognizes him. She responds with, “Rabbouni,” meaning “teacher.”
In my bible, “Rabbouni” is followed by an unassuming comma with no obvious emotion. I have always imagined it to be more of an exclamation of excited recognition: Robbouni!! It’s you!!
Recognition
But what if it was more of a question: “Rabbouni? Is that you?”
She doesn’t call him “Jesus” or “Messiah” or any number of other names by which she might have known him. Just “teacher.” Maybe she had believed her identity was tied to his public persona. Maybe she was secretly glad to be part of his inner circle. Maybe she did not yet understand that He was much, much larger than all that.
Now, when he says “Do not cling to me,” she is presented with a new understanding of her identity. She is given a voice and a mission to proclaim His Love is Everlasting.
That got me to thinking about my own encounters in the world. A challenging relationship, an unhoused person, someone facing difficult circumstances… all places where we might encounter Jesus and not recognize him. Places where we’d prefer to cling to our own agenda and not be bothered to enter the dark tomb. Places where “the least of these” might shatter our peaceful mood or sense of security. Places where the long work of healing feels to hard.
Call
What if Christ is there, waiting for us see him? What if he is offering us the Grace to live more in kinship, in peace, with compassion? What if he is asking if we really want to be healed? Is that you, Jesus?
Response
In this troubled world it’s easy to feel powerless to create positive change. But our power is in Christ, not ourselves. Those uncomfortable tugs on your heart? Maybe they are the Lord gently calling your name. What if he is waiting for you to simply ask…
“Rabbouni? Is that you?”
This piece is part of my book, “Surrender All” from Ave Maria Press. Also available on Amazon and Etsy.
Prints and other gifts are available in my Fine Art America-Pixels shops.
