Why do we make things so difficult?
We live in a culture that tends to overexplain, overanalyze, and overthink just about everything. The miracle of the sun shining, the waves gently lapping the shore, friendships that nourish us, communities that form and flourish—these are profound gifts. And yet, our impulse is so often to dissect and define them. We strive to understand every detail, as if understanding were the key to truth. But in doing so, we risk what’s been called “paralysis by analysis.” We get stuck.
And so, this Easter morning, I wonder—what if we stopped trying to dissect the miracle, and simply beheld it? What if we stood still for a moment, in awe and wonder, allowing ourselves to be captivated by what is beyond explanation?
I must confess—I find Easter to be the most difficult sermon I prepare all year. And not because the story isn’t powerful. It’s because we come to this day asking big questions: What does Easter mean? What does resurrection mean? How are we to be Easter people?
We long for clarity. But the truth is, this story does not yield neat and tidy answers. What it does give us is the very human, raw, and real response of the first witnesses. Upon encountering the empty tomb, they were terrified, perplexed, and bowed their faces to the ground. When they told others what they had seen, it was dismissed as “an idle tale.” And so, others had to go and see for themselves.
This is not a story that lends itself to easy explanations. And maybe that’s the point. In the midst of their confusion, two mysterious figures in dazzling clothes offer this profound question: “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”
Perhaps our impulse to “figure it all out” is part of the dead-end thinking this question challenges. Maybe Easter is not about understanding everything, but rather it is about noticing where life is breaking through. Maybe it’s about embracing the mystery rather than explaining it. Maybe it’s about standing with reverence and wonder as the earth quakes and the tomb stands empty.
I think that if we spent more time in that posture—of awe, of curiosity, of sacred listening—we might begin to truly behold the Easter miracle? Easter calls us not to seek death, but life. So I ask you today: Where are you seeing signs of new life in your midst?
Over the past three decades of ministry, I’ve sat with many who have faced devastation: the death of a dream, the collapse of a relationship, the pain of addiction, or the struggle with mental health. And yet, so many times, I hear the powerful words of hopeful new life: “This is not the end of my story.” They looked into their own empty tombs and found, not despair, but resurrection. New life. Different life. Beautiful life. Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen! And they saw new life.
Looking ahead, Mental Health Week in Canada (May 5–11) invites us into this same Easter vision. This year’s theme is “Unmasking Mental Health.” It calls us to look beyond appearances—to see the hidden struggles behind stigma and discrimination, and to foster compassion, openness, and healing. It invites us to look for life, not for death. Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen! And they saw new life.
The same is true in our work toward reconciliation. Movements like Black Lives Matter and Indigenous reconciliation remind us that healing cannot come solely from revisiting past injustices. New life comes as we empower communities, learn from one another, and build just futures together.
This September 30th, we’re in the early stages of planning a neighbourhood event in partnership with the Surrey Métis Society for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. In doing so, we seek to be people of resurrection—not just remembering pain, but co-creating hope. Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen! And they saw new life.
Even in the business world, we see resurrection stories. Coca-Cola sold only 25 bottles in their inaugural year of 1886 and almost shut down. Amazon began in a garage with more failures than sales. Apple nearly went bankrupt in the '90s before rising to become a tech giant. Again and again, we witness what once seemed dead springing forth into new life. Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen! And they saw new life.
I wonder—what if the first witnesses to the tomb came not expecting clarity, but surprise? What if they came ready to behold the “new thing” God was doing, just as Isaiah had foretold? What if they came open to the possibility that life might emerge from places they had given up on?
There’s a beautiful Buddhist teaching that echoes this spirit. It’s called shoshin, or the “beginner’s mind.” It refers to an attitude of openness, eagerness, and freedom from preconceptions—just like a beginner. There’s a saying: “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities; in the expert’s mind, few.”
Is that why Jesus placed a child among the disciples, when they argued about greatness? Perhaps the path to resurrection is less about being certain, and more about being curious.
Maybe we’ve been looking in the wrong places all along. Maybe Easter isn’t about understanding resurrection, but about about beholding it.
Let us stop looking for the living among the dead. For he is risen. He is risen indeed.
Amen.