When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you." So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

It was just an ordinary day. I was watching my children play during an indoor recess while I was laying out materials for the next lesson. Suddenly one of my fellow teachers came rushing in to tell me to turn the television on immediately. I will never forget that moment as I watched the World Trade Center crumble while my happy, innocent children played on the floor in front of the screen.

Where were you on September 11, 2001? I'm sure you remember because that moment is frozen in time. It was one of those moments when you know instantly that the world will never be the same again.

When the world suddenly changes as it did on 9-11-01, our first reaction is usually disbelief. But once the shock wears off, feelings of fear and confusion soon flood in. Nothing seems to make sense, and we don't know what we should do or where we should turn. We look for guidance at these times. Who will help us to navigate in this new world?

Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome must have had these same feelings over two thousand years ago. Their world changed instantly when Jesus was crucified, and they knew that it would never be the same again. The unbelievable had happened. Jesus, the center of their lives, was dead. Feelings of disbelief, confusion and fear must have flooded in on them. Even as they bought spices to anoint the body of Jesus, they must have been wondering what to do next. Who would guide them through this radically changed world?
 
Life-changing moments have been happening since the beginning of time. They are always frightening and confusing. The normal and understandable are suddenly gone. In an instant, a new journey must begin. "What do we do next?" and "Who will guide us?" become paramount questions.
 
God knows that we need guidance when life is hard. He knows that we cannot handle things alone. Thankfully, our God is not a god that rules from afar. He cares so much for us that he actually came down to Earth to lead the way. The angel at the empty tomb told the women this when he said that Jesus was going ahead of them. God has not left us to slog through the difficult moments alone. Jesus is forging the way for us. He is guiding us through all of the difficult moments of life and he will even be guiding us through our death. He has promised to be with us always, to the end of the age.

What a wonderful story we have to tell. In this postmodern era with its resurgence of spirituality, we can tell of a God who loves us so much that He actually came to Earth to lead the way.