Celebrating New Life

In the 19th century, when it was established that life had begun in the oceans, some scientists reasoned that the earliest forms of life might still be there, hidden in the deep, dark depths of the ocean. Folks thought that there in that world of darkness lay the first forms of life. They even had a name for that oceanic nursery; they called it "Urschleim," choosing a German name to give it scientific respectability.

In 1972, Sir Charles Thomson, aboard the Challenger, sailed through all the oceans of the world to test this theory. After 69,000 miles of dragging the ocean bottom, and four years of sailing, they reported catching rare forms of life, many of which were grotesque, but they didn't find anything new. Time and time again they would play out four miles of rope and then pull the rope back in. They found the same animals every time.

What they found were life forms that had descended from creatures that could be found in the shallow part of the ocean. They concluded, therefore, that life was created at the surface then descended into the depths, perhaps for reasons of survival, and then adjusted to a life of darkness at those depths. To survive at those depths these sea creatures had evolved into grotesque shapes with huge mouths, which were way out of proportion to the rest of their bodies, in order to catch any morsel that might float down to the bottom of the ocean. They also had huge projecting eyes in order to catch a glimpse of any light that might be down there. That's what life at the bottom looks like, it is a distorted life.

The Challenger expedition was considered a failure, in that it didn't find different, earlier kinds of life at the bottom of the ocean. But Thomson's sailing was a success, because it substantiated that life began in the upper oceans, near the surface. The reason was light. Without light there would be no creation.

Easter celebrates a new creation that is called Resurrection. The Resurrection is also a confirmation that when the light descended to the very depths of human existence, into the darkness of death itself, the darkness could not overcome the light. The gospel message is that Christ has gone into the the depths of our life to give us new life.

He did that throughout his entire ministry, for he lived the life that you and I must live. But we look at the last week of his life, the week that is called his passion, to see that he descended into the darkest recesses of human existence. Isaiah says, "A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." In that one week Jesus knew all of those things that we will know at some time.

And because he was there, it means that you don't have to stay there. You may have to go there sometimes, but you don't have to stay. You don't have to stay in any area in your life in which you find yourself trapped down into the depths of life where things are distorted because of the Resurrection of our Lord. There is a huge love that's more than enough to help you get to the surface, to celebrate light and to be a light to others. Lord, send me a surprise, one that catches me off guard, and makes me wonder.....

Like Easter.