God Speaks Through Uncomfortable News
“Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, ‘They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they put him.’” - John 20:1a-2
Upon arriving at work, I got a text message from my paternal uncle Binh: “Your grandfather is dying and he only has a few hours left to live.” Given my estrangement from my father, I prioritized my time to visit the hospital during my lunch break. I sent a text message to my husband informing him about the news but got an immediate phone call: “I’m going to pick you up. Drop everything. You need to be there.”
I came to the hospital with an overwhelming sense of anxiety meeting with my father and the paternal family. However, as I pulled aside the curtain to witness my paternal grandfather (ông nội) dying, the Holy Spirit gave me an unexpected sense of calmness and peace in the room. As I sat next to ông nội, I held his hand and began to pray. God cleared my heart, mind, and soul reminding me: “Despite what your parents might have said, ông nội has always made an attempt to have a relationship with you. Now be with him.”
As I reflected on the Gospel Reading, I couldn’t shake off the fact that my uncle and my husband were like Mary Magdalene sharing that uncomfortable news of Jesus’ body to the disciples. I couldn’t shake off seeing how I was like the faster disciple who “arrived at the tomb first” only to “not go in” because I was held back by fear. I couldn't shake off how I felt the Holy Spirit’s transformation within me was like when Simon Peter inspected the burial clothes or when the faster disciple eventually entered into the tomb and finally “saw and believed.” I couldn't shake off the fact that I was fortunate enough to be with ông nội before his last breath.
Lord, please help me be open to any news that may make me uncomfortable so that I may come to see and believe in you like Mary Magdalene and your disciples.
John Huân Vũ