Easter Monday – Emmaus Day. The fifth sermon. How could I ‘spell out’ the mystery of Easter anew? In all the biblical Easter narratives, I had noticed how ‘moved’ Jesus’ friends were when they discovered that Jesus was still alive, but in a completely new way. Three words came to mind: to reach out – to grasp – to be moved, or to be moved by. The central theme of my sermon: even as children, we learn to reach out for things, and as we grow older, we try to understand more and more. And now we stand before the mystery of the Resurrection, which can neither be grasped nor understood. But there is someone who wants to move us – in complete freedom. The Easter narratives are overflowing with this message, and they wish to happen today just as they did in Jesus’ time. I felt that this three-step approach seemed to be a help to many. There was a tangible sense of great attention. I illustrated what I had said with two experiences I’d had with young Muslim companions. At the end of the service, an elderly woman with two walking sticks came up to me and said: “I’m truly moved. You have charisma!” I looked at her with a smile and said: “Perhaps you are moved, then Emmaus is not far off!” We said goodbye with a laugh.
