Stuffed Monkey

Early on the day of resurrection (2008’s celebration, not the original), I was on my way to church.  As I pulled out of our driveway, I was still thinking about how I could best describe the stark contrast between the Roman guards posted outside the tomb – whose job was to prevent the living from removing the body of the dead – and the angel, who sat atop the rolled-away stone to proclaim the release of the resurrected Christ. 

As I made the first turn, I saw two buzzards sitting on the side of the road.  I assumed they were preying on a dead possum, raccoon, squirrel, or someone’s pet.  As I approached, they turned, looked at me, and flew off.  When I looked to see their victim, I couldn’t believe my eyes.  They had been standing watch over a stuffed monkey. 

It took me most of the first worship service to make the connection, but I finally realized that these buzzards were a lot like the Roman guards.  They believed themselves to be guarding death (a dead body), but they soon learned that their treasure was nothing more than inanimate cloth (folded grave clothes?). 

Our task, as those who know not only the story, but have also experienced the power of the resurrected Christ in our own lives, is to be constantly moving from our position as “Guards for the Empire” to the new one that God has given us as “Proclaimers of the Empty Tomb and the Resurrected Christ.”  This does not necessarily mean that we will soon have a show-and-tell conversation with the wounded Christ, as Thomas did.  It DOES mean that we are to be alert to and celebrate all the ways that love trumps indifference, hope overcomes fear, unity celebrates diversity, and peace dissolves the need for war. 

Though you may have difficulty identifying the figure in the photo, it is the monkey the buzzards were trying to eat, on the side of the road near our house. Seeing this futile effort reminded me of the Roman guards at the tomb.  I took the picture with my cell phone, on the way home after Easter worship.  By then, of course, the buzzards, like the guards, had learned of the resurrection, and were long gone.

© 2015 Todd Jenkins