Dear Gatherers,
Traumatic events affect us in different ways. Indeed, for as many people as there may be in a community there are probably that many different responses to loss, pain, and distress. We see this in our own time. The pandemic, racism, sexism, and violence, an increasingly absurd political landscape, a wide-swinging economy, and so on have affected us all communally and personally. And the degree to which they alarm and exhaust changes day-by-day, minute-by-minute.
The Gospels give us a very similar in their depiction of how the arrest, execution, and resurrection of Jesus impacts his community. As we learned in last week’s study, the prospect of Jesus’s return to life didn’t incite Easter celebrations among the first witnesses of resurrection. Mark’s original text freeze-frames a group of terrified people. This week, we look at them individually to discover how the events (of only 72 hours!) shape their responses to what they’ve been through. Famously—or infamously—there’s Thomas, who doesn’t know what to believe. But there are others to consider as well: Peter, James, John, Mary Magdalene, Jesus’s natural family, even Judas. The Gospels portray these traumatic events as deeply personal, and refuse to let us to look away.
What can these stories teach us about our own struggles with trauma and loss? How do we locate ourselves among Jesus’s faithful—and fearful—followers? Don’t miss our second session with Rev. Dr. Zachary Moon, as he walks us through what how disciples dealt with the aftermath of their Leader’s loss and reappearance. Take a minute to read John 20:24-29 before to the study. That will be our stepping off point for the discussion, which begins at 7:30p CST via Zoom. (Click below to access the study.)
We look forward to seeing you all for a very rich and transformative conversation!
Peace,
Pastor Tim
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