“All Glory, Laud and Honor” J.S.Bach (1685-1750)
(Note: the hymn tune is played by the tuba & organ pedals, in slow motion.)
Toccata C-M Widor (1844-1937)
There’s a particular detail of the Resurrection story that has always captivated me. And that is — the resurrected Jesus still has the holes in His hands and feet.
Think about it. We’ve had the stupendous miracle of rising from the dead. He’s got a new resurrection body that, according to the Gospel accounts, can do miraculous things like appear in locked rooms. For the tsunami of miracles that comprise the resurrection, you’d think a little detail like fixing the holes would just be a matter of course. But it wasn’t!
I think there’s a deeper meaning here. And that is: there are some traumatic events that mark us, that change us forever. They become part of who we are. Sure, for a while after we suffer a major trauma (physical, emotional, whatever the type), we’ve got the long work of recovery and healing. It just takes us mere mortals more than three days to recover. But in time we do. No, we’ll never be the same, we’ll never be like we were before the trauma. But we CAN emerge from those terrible trips to the Underworld a little wiser, a little more compassionate, a kinder and gentler human being.
So, it would appear that Jesus will have the holes in His hands and feet forever. The crucifixion marks Him forever, for all to see. And there is a rightness to that.
Likewise major trauma marks each of us — it changes our soul’s DNA. And we carry that mark, that new ‘DNA’ — forever.