Sumgmu’s Monthly Message, May 2025

We are in the season of Easter. “Jesus Christ is risen! Hallelujah!” I think you have great joy now. Not really? You do not find any reason to rejoice in your life? Do not feel bad. It is not only you. Those earnest and trained disciples were still depressed on the first Easter morning.

Why? I think it is because they did not stay long enough at the empty tomb but rushed off to discuss the various theories of the empty tomb. Mary Magdalene was the only one who waited long enough and realized that it was not empty after all. Mary found that there would be something more to this tomb than she had first seen. When she encountered a gardener, she also took time to talk with him. The gardener turned out to be the resurrected Jesus.

This is the important lesson for us, modern Christians, who think we are so busy that we should move quickly. Yet, nothing in this life is empty. Jesus says to us, “Stick around. Look deeper into those tombs. I am right here with you.” You really do not have to leave quickly to go hurry? Resurrected Christ is in the here and now. Resurrected Christ is present in your everyday life.

Let us be a little more patient. Let us stay and take time to look at the empty tomb. We will find out that it is not really empty. When we stay together, doing ministry together, we will experience the joy of Easter that transforms sadness into joy, depression into hope, and helplessness into enthusiasm.

Easter is God’s saying, “Let me show you what I am going to do for you and your world.” This is the vision that God gives us on the Easter morning. Christ is risen! And you are also risen with him! Amen.

Sungmu Lee