No matter which gospel you read, who discovers or witnesses the empty tomb, or which of Jesus’ followers encounters the the risen lord, their one consistent experience is one of surprise. Despite everything that he said and taught them, none expected the resurrection . Their focus was still on grief, loss, mourning, and the trauma of suffering they had witnessed.

All that changes when Jesus’ followers discover a new reality. Jesus is not where they expect him to be. He appears to them in a variety of forms; a gardener, a stranger walking on the road, suddenly appearing as they gather in fear, making breakfast while they fish. None of which they anticipated.

Likewise, we live in a world that is mired in injustice and inhumanity. Where grief, catastrophic suffering, and cruelty are a part of the human experience; where the innocent suffer and the powerful abuse. Jesus’ trial and crucifixion are ancient examples of this larger, pervasive and infuriating disfunction.

So, where is God in the midst of all this? Where is the triumph of love over hate? Of grace over evil? Of peace over war?

How can we have the audacity to proclaim the resurrection in the midst of such evil and suffering?

Like those first disciples, we can find ourselves overwhelmed in spite of small triumphs in remarkable acts of human kindness and courage. There are glimmers of light that come through in heroic acts of selflessness and compassion in even the darkest moments. They remind us that love can break through any barrier and that God has not abandoned his suffering children.

Perhaps some further understanding can be found imbedded in the concept of surprise; the experience of the unexpected. There is more to our existence than this life and this world. All this is transitory. We pass through this life as part of a much larger, eternal journey. The resurrection is a portal that changes our perspective, just as it transformed the lives of the first disciples. Our world is not all there is. True reality goes beyond here and now; beyond our expectations.

What awaits us is the ultimate surprise. Shrouded in mystery like the resurrection, with few specifics and details, it alludes description and evades comparison. Yet it is enough to know that it is the triumph of divine love, that we are embraced by a God whose love for us is everlasting and who is always working to bring life out of death.