...but Mary stood

Early on Sunday, before sunrise,
Mary of Magdala came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been moved 
from the entry.
So she ran and told Simon and Jesus' beloved disciple,
"They have taken the Lord, and we do not know where."
They both set out toward the tomb.
While they ran together, the beloved outran Peter
and arrived at the entrance first.
He bent over and peered in, 
seeing the grave clothes lying empty,
but stood by.
Here came Simon, following, 
straight into the tomb. 
He saw the grave clothes, too, 
and the head cloth to itself.
Then the beloved disciple, 
who had been there longer,
also entered, and he saw and believed
(for they did not yet understand the scripture, 
that Jesus must rise from dead).
Then the disciples returned to their homes.
But Mary stood weeping there.
---John 20:1-11 (para. laca)

There is Mary. Maybe as a last act of devotion. Maybe seeking solace at the tomb. Maybe unbelieving at the events of the last days. Maybe because she has literally no place else to go. What to do, when you have staked your future on one man, his dream of a reign of peace and freedom and mutual respect and love, his promise of a life eternal --- and his own is stripped from him so quickly and brutally? Where else do you go?

Mary went to the tomb. And the world tilted a little on its axis. Even the dead body of the good man she had loved was gone, stolen by common bandits. That was the only explanation. Yes, something tickled at the farthest, darkest corner of memory, but...no, it was gone...third day...the grief must be getting to her. Peter and the one Jesus had loved most would need to know, must know. They could say what to do. She had gone to the tomb.

They had gone home. To wait? For what? To return to their lives? To pick up the pieces, after 'fishing for people' hadn't worked out the way they had hoped and dreamed? Had it only been a week since the chanting, palm-waving crowds had hailed Jesus on the way into Jerusalem, welcoming him in as the coming King? Had they not felt the reflected glory of the welcome, secretly thrilled at the thought of assuming seats of power in the righteous administration? What had it been that has turned the tide? Surely not just Judas; none had assumed he had the power to sway public opinion. What had been the strategic error that had made things go so horribly awry? Where else do you go?

Mary knew where to find them. They were home. When they heard the news, they took off, disbelieving this hysterical woman, but gut reactions telling a story closer to her truth. Peter, the bull in the china shop, a force of nature. The beloved, more cautious, but still entering the dark cool of the rock cave. Seeing. Believing.

Believing. But what? It's pretty clear their belief wasn't in any resurrection --- we are told they didn't yet understand scripture concerning this. They believed Mary's testimony here, the first of her two testimonies from the tomb, that Jesus' body was gone. A final indignity to pile on top of the shame and blinding disappointments of the past 72 hours. Just. Gone. 

So they. went. home.

But Mary. Maybe she's got nothing to lose. But Mary stays weeping there.

And, oh. my. God. Rabouni. 

Mary stayed. And the world's story changed.