We Are Called By Name
Where do we see God outside the Church and how do we see Christ’s image of those “fearfully and wonderfully made” in our neighbours and communities?
Friends, every time I sit with the Lectionary readings for Easter, I am struck again by the role Mary Magdalene plays in the resurrection story. She is the first to see the risen Jesus, the first to carry the good news to the disciples. That moment is powerful—not just historically and theologically, but personally too.
In John’s Gospel, Mary isn’t a religious leader or someone in a position of authority. In fact, her testimony is dismissed at first. A close companion of Jesus, Mary was healed from affliction (Luke 8:2), and a faithful disciple who remained with him when others fled. She stood at the foot of the cross, bearing witness to his suffering. But when Jesus speaks her name, everything changes. Her grief turns to recognition, and in that moment, we see something profound: God works through the unexpected.
So, where do we see God working through unexpected people in our own communities?
Mary’s role challenged the norms of her time. Women weren’t typically seen as primary messengers in religious spaces, yet here she is, entrusted with the most important news in history. That should push us to ask: Whose voices have been overlooked in our churches? Who is God calling us to listen to and uplift today?
I recently rewatched Bishop Mariann Budde’s message at President Trump’s inauguration. She spoke truth to power, pleading for those who are so often unseen—the immigrants, the marginalized, the fearful. She said, "They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, gurdwaras, and temples. I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here.”
That is the kind of message Mary carried—a message of hope, of justice, of the God who sees and calls people by name. But remember that these messages of hope are also proclaimed daily by everyday people like you and I across the church, community and the world.
And then there’s the empty tomb. It’s one of the most iconic images in the Easter story. But what do we do with emptiness? We talk about the church being in decline, about empty pews and shrinking congregations. But what if, instead of despairing, we ask different questions? Where is God outside the church walls? How is Christ present in our communities, in our neighbours, in the sacredness of each person?
Where do we see God outside the Church and how do we see Christ’s image of those “fearfully and wonderfully made” in our neighbours and communities?
Mary was heartbroken when she thought Jesus was gone. But then, in the midst of her grief, Jesus called her by name. That’s resurrection. That’s transformation. And that’s the promise of Easter—not just a distant event, but a reality that keeps unfolding, calling us from sorrow into joy, from fear into faith, from isolation into mission.
In a time when women’s voices were dismissed, Jesus chose Mary to proclaim the most transformative message in history. Her role challenges hierarchies and reminds us that the gospel is meant to uplift the marginalised.
Mary’s experience demonstrates that encountering the risen Christ transforms each one of us profoundly.
Her testimony bridges the gap between despair and hope for the disciples, showing that resurrection is not just a distant event but a transforming reality that changes lives. It’s a reality that continues to break open our expectations and call us toward a more just, inclusive, and hopeful future.
The church is not dying. God is everywhere.
And just like Mary, we are being called by name to be vessels of hope to transform our communities for Christ is Risen.
He is Risen indeed.
Have a blessed Easter
That is the kind of message Mary carried—a message of hope, of justice, of the God who sees and calls people by name. But remember that these messages of hope are also proclaimed daily by everyday people like you and I across the church, community and the world.