Where Is God?

A Reflection on the Gospel for Sunday, March 31st, 2024:
Easter Sunday

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John
​20.1-9

​Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”

Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in.

Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

Where is God?

It’s a question I’ve heard more than once. In high school, from a dear friend grieving the loss of a classmate killed in a senseless accident. From a teenager in my youth group as she faced a terrifying medical diagnosis. And from so many whenever there is war or tragedy – as I write this, new reports out of Israel and Palestine bring fresh waves of heartbreak.

Where is God?

Mary Magdalene asks this question too. She goes looking for her Lord in the place she expects to find Him – in the tomb where His body was laid – and it’s gone. I don’t have to imagine the panic, fear, and grief she must have felt in that moment. 

Where is God?

Most of us have felt the angst of this question. Life has gotten impossibly hard, and then we go looking for God, and He’s not where we expected Him to be. Perhaps you looked for Him at church and found cruelty or hypocrisy there. Perhaps you looked for Him in loved ones and found them too heartbroken or too selfish to be there for you. Perhaps you looked for Him inside yourself and found self-loathing or shame instead. 

Where is God?

Just after this Gospel reading ends, Saints Peter and John return home, confused and afraid. Mary Magdalene stays. She weeps for a while, and then she looks again. She asks several people where she can find Him. In her grief, she is persistent – and she finds Him standing next to her. Her joy must have been overwhelming! 

Where is God?

The disciples sit in a locked room, wondering what they sacrificed their past lives for, wondering if their deaths are next. They don’t seek Him out again – indeed, they literally lock him out. And before they know what’s happening, He is with them, standing among them, blessing them. Their joy must have been overwhelming!

Where is God?

In times of grief, God can seem impossibly far away. He is not where we expect him to be. Perhaps we seek Him out, hounding those around us, trying to make sense of what seems to be senseless. Perhaps we lock ourselves away, convinced this is the end of all that is good. The message of the Gospel of John is remarkable – no matter what, God will find us. Whether we look for Him or not, He will seek us out and find us. 

Where is God?

He is with us. Our pain and suffering are not abstract to Him. When we weep, He invites us closer to Him. When we push Him away, He draws ever closer. Mary looks at Him, speaks to Him, but she cannot see that who she needs is already there. She is so convinced that death is final that she cannot see the risen Lord right in front of her eyes – until He calls her by name. Until He calls each of us by name, and we re-learn that we are never truly alone.

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Jenna Young

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