Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter
“We are an Easter people and ‘Alleluia’ is our song!” This quote from St John Paul II, possibly paraphrasing St Augustine, rings in my ears in this Easter season. I am struck by the witness of the early Christian community in Acts today. It can be easy for us to romanticize the early church, so close in time to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We think of the way they shared all things in common and the miracles of healing and we can slip into thinking that it was somehow easier for them than it is for us in the midst of the violence, inequity, poverty, and chaos of our own time.
And yet, our reading from Acts today begins in chaos. The community finds itself in a violent culture. They are scattering to save themselves; others are being caught up and imprisoned for witnessing to a different way of life in which radical sharing of resources and equity in the midst of diversity is practiced; a community that welcomes people from all nations and backgrounds into their community; some of these early Christians are being put to death. The community is being investigated and persecuted and they are making “a loud lament” over what is happening. In many ways, their story is our story today.
We are much like the early church, trying faithfully to live the Gospel; to proclaim good news with our words and with our actions. Some people don’t know what to do with this way of living and being. We draw hope in Christ and the early Christian community who continues to proclaim the good news. They do not shout it at people, but proclaim it with joy and open invitation. We will see in coming chapters, a prayerful openness and dialogue with and welcoming of Saul (whose name changes to Paul). This way of living and being, this radical openness is also attractive to some. People join the community precisely because we proclaim this good news of God’s love with our lives.
This was their call and it is ours. To proclaim with joy that Christ is Risen! To proclaim with our actions that death has no hold on us and we are free! Free to love without counting the cost! Free to share our resources! Free to unarm, even our language, to let go of us/them! Free enough to welcome and honor the dignity of each person!
This freedom in the midst of chaos, confusion, violence is what allows the healing to continue. This freedom drives out unclean spirits. This freedom has the power to cure our paralysis in the midst of the challenges of our day. This is why “there was great joy in that city.” This is why there is great joy in our city. We are an Easter people and Alleluia is our song!
—Kelly Adamson