Mark was three years old when his pet lizard died. it was her grandson’s first experience of death. Grandma suggested that Mark and an older boy in the family hold a “funeral” for the lizard. Grandma explained what a funeral was: a ceremony where you say a prayer, sing a song, and bury your loved one.
Grandma even provided a shoe box and a burial place in the backyard. The boys thought it was a great idea, so they all proceeded to the backyard. Taking the lead, the older boy said a prayer. Then he turned and asked little Mark if he wouldn’t like to sing a song. With tears in his eyes, Mark clasped his hands, bowed his head, and belted out “Hit the Road, Jack” by Ray Charles.
Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.
The apostles had already sung this song to Jesus two days ago. Now here he is back. I don’t think they had forgotten all that had happened two days ago. If I were in their place, man would I be petrified of this guy coming back to life. It is like trouble returning. They had enough people hate them, threaten them. He didn’t preach an easy to follow Gospel either.
This is what a lady on youtube tells about Ray Charles, we talked about earlier, that “God made the earth in six days and on the seventh day he made Ray Charles”.
You know his life was not all that resurrection. With depressed and saddened childhood, struggles and fears he had to suffer through some of the worst experiences of life. I think we all want to hit the road when it comes to problems in life.
Yes, Bible says God rested on the 7th day. On the sixth day he made man and woman. Yes, but I do believe God did make Ray Charles on the 7th day and so did God make us all children of God on the seventh day.
But on the Seventh day God made children of God. God made the children of God on the day of Sabbath, on the day of the defeat of death. But I don’t think God can or will rest until God makes mankind the children of God. If it was Peter, and Mary then, it is Ray Charles and, you and me today with a potential for explosive love.
In the movie Letters to God, that will be released on April 9th, little Tyler asks a question to his mother, “Mom when I die is God going to replace me with another child?”. His mother says, “No, Sweetheart. No one can replace you”. After a few more minutes of beautiful conversation his mother says good night to Tyler and walks away. Then Tyler called her back and said, “mom, do you know God picked you?”. Mother’s eyes welled up hearing it. Yes, that is the truth. That is what God did on the eve of His Resurrection pick you in your struggles and problems to be a father, a mother, a brother and a child to be of someone and say there is a New Day.
The old woman’s husband had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months, yet she had stayed by his bedside every single day. One day, when he came out of his coma for a few hours, he motioned for his wife to come nearer.
As she sat by him, he whispered, eyes full of tears, “You know what? You have been with me all through the bad times. When I got fired, you were there to support me. When my business failed, you were there. When I got shot, you were by my side. When we lost the house, you stayed right here. When my health started failing, you were still by my side ….You know what?”
Holding his hands in hers, smiling as her heart began to fill with warmth. She gently asked, “What dear?”
He replied, “I think you’re bad luck.”[1]
This must have been what those apostles thinking. Hit the Road Jesus. Don’t come back, no more, no more. Because you are a bad luck!
Christians still hit the road when it comes to faith. There are people still believing in their hearts that Jesus was a bad luck for them.
But then we are reminded on this day that even in the darkest moments of life we will be filled with the light of God just as we did in the lighting of the candles from the lonely fire that was lit at the back of the church. Then we are reminded that a 40 days long sadness and preparation are over with the singing and shouting of Alleluia. There is an end to the failures of life. There is a light at the end of every tunnel.
We can just hit the road for ever and never return. We have no bad lucks in life. Every one of the bad luck will be turned into opportunities for life for ourselves or others.
There was a used tomb stone for sale in Dayton, OH. The ad read, ‘Used tombstone for sale. Real bargain to someone named Dingo’. For more information call…”[2]
The person whose name was written on the tomb does not require the stone any more. Neither do we require a tombstone at the end of events and situations that sounds and feels like death. For we believe in the resurrection of Jesus and of ourselves. Jesus did not need a tombstone to hole him up in the cave, because life cannot be contained in the cave.
We all have to roll away the stones that cave us inside our own pitiful situations.
This vigil is all about learning the ways of the wise.
1. Recognize that we all go through hard times in life. Before we hit the road away from Christ let us take shelter with God.
2. Understand that no one is spared from bad luck, but still we are precious and lovingly re-created on the 7th day.
3. Take courage in letting go off unwanted tombstones we are holding on to.
4. Renew oneself with a fire of love and water of kindness.
Be grateful to God for all the blessings in life.![]()
