God longs for us to be free of all the things that we have allowed to keep us in bondage, separated from one another and from the Beloved. Jesus at the beginning of his ministry in the synagogue in Nazareth acknowledged that he had been sent to "proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free." (Lk.4:18) At the raising of Lazarus from the dead in today's gospel, when Jesus called Lazarus forth from the tomb, we see Lazarus still bound with the grave cloths. Jesus, in the tradition of the Hebrew prophets, calls on the bystanders to "unbind him and let him go," free from the bondage of death.

"Among the swift and varied changes of the world" as today's collect puts it, we all may, from time to time, find ourselves bound up in fear or anxiety, in addictive behaviors, in depression, or other destructive reactions. With the looming spread of COVID-19 causing disruptions, restrictions, and losses in our daily lives, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the darkness of the unknown. The Light of Christ is always here, available to lead us through any darkness in which we find ourselves, when we are ready to receive what God has to offer, the unfailing mercy and grace of Divine Love.

May we each and all be aware of the grave cloths that continue to bind us and ask the Holy One to set us free, to heal us body, mind, and spirit, and to welcome us home at last. The Beloved assures us there is always new life after death