In the Tomb of the Soul

We went to an Easter service at the Unitarian Universalist church this morning.  It was deep and lovely and very touching.   Here's one of the readings:

Rolling Away the Stone


In the tomb of the soul, 
we carry secret yearnings, pains, frustrations
loneliness, fears, regrets, worries


In the tomb of the soul
we take refuge from the world
and its heaviness


In the tomb of the soul
we wrap ourselves in the security of darkness---
sometimes this is a comfort
sometimes it is an escape
sometimes it prepares us for experience
sometimes it insulates us from life


Sometimes this tomb-life gives us time
to feel the pain of the world
and reach out to heal others.
Sometimes it numbs us
and locks us up with our own concerns.


In this season where light and dark balance the day,
we seek balance for ourselves.


Grateful for the darkness that has nourished us
we push away the stone and invite the light 
to awaken us to the possibilities
within us and among us---
possibilities for new life in ourselves and in our world.


One of the many things that struck me in this reading was how rolling away a stone in front of a tomb is an act of love.  When you are inside the tomb you may not be able to roll away your own stone.  But someone can do it for you---someone who is not put off  by what might lurk inside, someone who wants to let in the light simply because they care about you.  And once they have, and you emerge, and you see the light,  then you can do it for someone else. And so, rolling away the stone is a collective effort.

I would be remiss if I don't add a link to the song "Roll Away Your Stone" by Mumford and Sons here.