"Tomb" | Reflection by Hal Chen (Vestry Class of 2024)

Tomb is a scary word. It immediately brings to mind death and sadness. But as we navigate Holy Week and anticipate Easter, the tomb also embodies Jesus’ sacrifice and the impending joy of the resurrection.

When I was in elementary school in the 70s, my family’s church held an annual wilderness retreat. The highlight of the weekend was an outdoor service where each family provided an “offering” from nature to share with the congregation. Each year, there was an abundance of blooming wildflowers, brilliant leaves, and unique stones attesting to the beauty of God’s creation.

The most memorable offering came from a tall, gentle, and bearded man whom I knew only as Ken. He walked with a noticeable limp on what appeared to be a prosthetic leg; I had overheard one of the adults saying that he had served in combat overseas.

Ken’s offering was a fallen tree branch with mushrooms and fungi sprouting on the outside. He spoke quietly about the interconnection between death and life. He had chosen this branch because it was giving life to other organisms, even though it was in the process of dying. Knowing Ken’s background, it was a powerful metaphor for the gift of eternal life.

As we venture this week from Gethsemane to Golgotha to the tomb in Jerusalem, let us be “seized” with “terror and amazement” when we find the tomb empty (Mark 16:8). Let us be ready to embrace the miracle of Easter and to do His work.

Words in the Wilderness - Walk through the season of Lent with Trinity, one word at a time. Every day (except on Sundays) we will post a photo and a brief refection written by someone in our Trinity community. https://www.trinitynewhaven.org/words-in-the-wilderness