Great Vigil of Easter sermon 2011

Great Vigil of Easter
April 23, 2011

A Letter to Daniel Andrew Dickson upon the occasion of his baptism.
Dear Daniel,
On this most holy night, it is our custom to remember the stories of our faith and the works of God in our salvation. Since you are just a little shy of three on this occasion, I don’t know how much of this night you will actually remember as you grow older.
But it is my hope that you at least remember the dark of this night. All of your life, from this point forward, will be a dance between the light and the dark.
There will be times in your life, when you may feel that the darkness weighs upon you like the tomb, and you feel that you cannot go on. And it is in those times, especially, that I want you to remember the dark of this night.
Because the dark of this night is a different kind of dark. It is the deep and dazzling darkness of God. It is the blanket of darkness that stretched across creation at the beginning, the darkness that was split by the light when God spoke the command and claimed it as good. It is the darkness under which the Children of Israel walked through the parted waters of the Red Sea, the darkness through which God led them out of their slavery and into their salvation and their freedom.
This is the darkness, on this most holy night, that has been vanquished by our eternal king; it is the darkness of the tomb where Christ no longer lies; it is the darkness of the deep waters of baptism, through which you are baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection, the darkness through which you are made a new creation.
As you grow, may you remember this darkness and the truth of this night. Remember the promise that you do not have to be afraid of anything; that all you must do is stand firm and God will be present with you. Remember that darkness and fear and death no longer have any hold over you; that you have been given the gift of light, freedom, and eternal life on this most holy night.
Remember that the light of Christ shines continually to drive away all darkness, and that Christ, the Morning Star who knows no setting, shines always in your own heart.
Remember that in Christ’s resurrection, God has proven once and for all that light will always split the darkness and drive away the shadows of the grave. And may you always find reminders of this truth in your everyday life: in the full-bodied, whole-hearted play, that only children can accomplish and in the laughter that accompanies it; in your deep and abiding love for ketchup; in offerings of kindness; in a good song or a well-turned phrase; in a sunny, 72 degree Saturday; in breakfast for dinner or an afternoon nap. May these and so many more good things always remind you that the light always shines in the darkness.
And may you always remember the glorious truth of this night. No matter what you may encounter as you dance between light and darkness, remember that God loves you and has created you good, so good; and that in Christ’s resurrection, God’s love for you and for each of us has proven to be stronger than the darkness, stronger than anything, stronger even than death.

Your sister in Christ,
Melanie+