St. Matthew's German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Charleston, South Carolina.
It's difficult to find an image with just the two (not one or three) Marys.
Despite the stylized image of Jesus here, we can imagine him here
pointing towards Galilee.
Resurrection Key
A choral work, in major key,
The Bach Magnificat in D,
Once made me laugh out loud to hear
Repeated music, that appeared
Within the Gloria Patri when
The music came around again -
As it was in the beginning!
Clever Bach, had, in our singing,
Taken us to where we'd started,
Scoring notes already charted.
This technique which Bach employed
Elicits, it turns out, much joy.
So, Matthew, cleverness displayed
With Jesus' "Do not be afraid;
Tell [them] to go to Galilee;
[For it is] there they will see me."
Why Galilee? It's at the start!
And there it is you'll find the heart
Of who the risen Jesus is -
In all the things he did then, viz.,
Forgiving, healing and inviting -
It makes this risen Lord exciting
Since you can see him there, today -
And Resurrection, thus convey.
Go back, the story read anew,
May then his life repeat in you.
Scott L. Barton
(The idea that "Galilee" means going back to the
beginning of Matthew's gospel comes from Tom Long in a Christian Century
article, April 4, 2006. James Burton, new conductor of the Boston Symphony
Orchestra's Tanglewood Festival Chorus and B.S.O. Choral Director, reminded me of the name of the particular piece of
music I sang years ago. The poem has been revised from the
original free verse poem for April 13, 2014.)
After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning,
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was
a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and
rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his
clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead
men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are
looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as
he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his
disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of
you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” So they
left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold
of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go
and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
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