What is the message of Easter - that even death cannot destroy us? That this short life, with all of it's pain and destruction, is only a small part of our soul's journey? That there is hope for everyone suffering right now? Romans 6:5-11 tells us that it is so. "For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his."
Life is full of pain and destruction, but it is also full of miracles. Some of them are initiated by science. Some of them are initiated by medicine. Some of them are initiated by human hands, but they are all acts of God.
In 1989, while driving down our country road, I swerved a little to the left to avoid a dead animal lying in the road. I swerved so that my front times would be on either side of it when I drove over it. It was small enough that the undercarriage would not hit it. As I got closer to it I saw that it was a kitten. What a shame! Just as the dead kitten was about to disappear under my hood, I saw something strange. I could have sworn that I saw it move it's head. I was several car lengths ahead of the kitten before I could stop. I jumped out of the car and ran back. No, I wasn't just imagining it. The kitten was alive! She (it was a girl) had been hit by another car and left for dead. She was bleeding but she was still alive. I picked her up, cradling her in my shirt, and carried her back to the car. "Don't worry", I said. "I'm going to get you the help that you need." I sped off to the nearest vet. "We may not be able to save her." they told me. "Well, do what you can." I told them. They did and the kitten made a complete recovery! Mom brought her home and we adopted her. I named her Judy, after St. Jude, the patron saint of hopeless causes. I learned from this situation, as well as others, that we have to be very careful what we consider to be a hopeless cause, because only God can determine when a story will end.
In a few hours a miracle will occur when democrats and republicans put their differences aside and come together to honor a man who touched the lives of both - Pope Francis. At that moment, the fighting will stop. People will stop being democrats and republicans and just be Americans. We will stop being conservatives and liberals and just be humans. The fighting will resume again - maybe on Monday, maybe on Saturday night, maybe even before the end of whatever dinner they will be having for the people attending the funeral. The fighting will resume, but we will never be the same, for we will carry within us the memory of a moment when we were all united - perhaps a glimpse of the future.
"My pierced side, Oh, Thomas see! My hands, my feet, I show to thee, not faithless but believing be! Alleluia!"
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