The Rekindling

“I have seen the Lord!” Those were not her exact words as English was never her language. The shock and grief of witnessing his killing and burial were still raw and unsettling. Yet, in darkness she journeyed to the tomb to care for and see his human form for the last time. Her plans were thwarted as the spices she carried were no longer needed. Not only did she encounter him, but he spoke her name. "Maryam, the Magdalene!" Again, they shared a call and response as she exclaimed, "Rabbouni!" What did she sense in her being? “I have seen the Lord!” Within its original context, the declaration raised questions. “I have seen the Lord!” The sentiment emanated from her very being. “I have seen the Lord!” How many times did she repeat it before pausing to breathe? "I have seen the Lord!" She laughed with joy for what she knew. He had taught her well to trust her experience and to speak her truth. She had sheltered the message to the apostles as the precious flame of God's Glorious Grace that it was. With their grief weighing heavier than Roman oppression, they were shaken by her demeanor. As instructed, the woman told of her encounter and delivered the message he had entrusted to her. The flame of her words poured oxygen into the smoldering embers of their devastated hearts. “I have seen the Lord,” she proclaimed repeatedly! The rekindling had begun….