Living in Fear

And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. ‭‭Mark‬ ‭16:8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The more historical ending to Mark, the one found in the oldest manuscripts, ends with fear and trimbing and silence.It’s not the joyful proclamation and loud excitement found in other Gospels. It’s certainly not the spectacle found in our churchs on Easter morning.

What is strange is that so often in the gospels when the miraculous happens, Jesus has a difficult time keeping a lid on it. Those who experienced the transformation from blindness to sight or lameness to leaping tended to tell people.

There are may questions and theories surrounding the end of this Gospel. Perhaps, these women were finally overwhelmed with the miraculous to the point of fear and silence.However, just this year I’ve begun to wonder how much their femininity influenced their silence. In the ancient Jewish world, the testimony of a woman was not acceptable in court. It’s very poignant, then, that the first people to bare witness to the resurrection in other Gospels are women.

Still today, in many places there the testimony of a woman is counted as worthless. Still today, in many churches the testimony of a woman is considered second class. Still today, in early every context women are afraid to speak. I believe the current social awareness about sexual harassment has born that out.

Although I personally cannot point to any harassment in my ministry experience, I can point to patronization. I can point to an experience of bearing witness in a context where my word is discounted. I can certainly point to a feeling fear and keeping silent.

As Christians, we are called to be bold and to speak up on behalf of our faiths. I am called to rise above my fear to give voice to justice and peace. We are called to witness and proclaim the marvelous.