Easter reflections: linger with grief

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Early on Easter morning, Mary Magdalene goes to the garden carrying her grief with her. She does not rush. She does not move on. Rather, she lingers, weeping, staying close to the place where she last saw her Lord. Resurrection is already stirring, but Mary does not know that yet. What she knows is sorrow, devotion, and the ache of absence. God meets her there, not by hurrying her grief, but by standing with her in it.

My word for 2026 is LINGER. It’s not a word we often associate with Easter. We like tidy joy and quick hope. But the garden reminds us that resurrection does not cancel mourning. It unfolds slowly, calling us by name when we are ready to hear it.

Easter reflections: a look at scripture

Jesus appears to Mary

¹¹Mary stood outside near the tomb, crying. As she cried, she bent down to look into the tomb. ¹²She saw two angels dressed in white, seated where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and one at the foot. ¹³The angels asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

She replied, “They have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they’ve put him.” ¹⁴As soon as she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn’t know it was Jesus.

¹⁵Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get him.”

¹⁶Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabbouni” (which means Teacher).

¹⁷Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold on to me, for I haven’t yet gone up to my Father. Go to my brothers and sisters and tell them, ‘I’m going up to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

¹⁸Mary Magdalene left and announced to the disciples, “I’ve seen the Lord.” Then she told them what he said to her.

John 20:11-18 CEB

Some things I notice in this passage

Isn’t it beautiful how Mary’s grief is honored rather than corrected? Because of her love for him, she stays. Sits with it. I also love how Mary comes to recognize her Lord through his speaking of her name. I find it amusing that even in her grief and confusion, her mind turns to practical matters: “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get him.” That’s something I would say! But then Christ gently redirects her by speaking her name, and she gets it. Wow.

Easter reflections: key takeaways

Resurrection does not hurry grief.

We can let it unfold slowly. Listen for Jesus to call our name. Experience Easter through grief rather than setting it aside. It takes time to process.

Grief is not a failure of faith.

We often feel pressure to put on hope and gratefulness right away. And yet, it’s healthy to experience grief in its fullness. Honor the emotion. Linger with it. Slide into reassurance slowly.

Hold hope without forcing it.

Hope is tenacious. Tears don’t erase it. Let it grow slowly, recognizing that spring doesn’t bloom all at once. Let’s linger in the garden as long as we need.

an open garden gate with text, "Easter reflections:
linger with grief
Resurrection does not hurry grief.
Grief is not a failure of faith.
Hold hope without forcing it.
Lingering in the garden with Mary Magdalene as long as we need. Resting in grief as we listen for our name. Based on John 20."

Easter reflections: questions to ponder

Where might you be invited to linger right now, instead of rushing toward resolution or certainty?
What grief, loss, or unanswered question are you carrying?
How does Mary’s presence in the garden reshape what hope looks like for you today?
What might it mean to trust that God is already present, even before you feel ready for joy?
In what small way could you honor both love and loss this spring?

Linger in the garden

The garden does not demand that Mary be ready. She is not asked to understand or celebrate or explain. She is only seen, known, and called by name. Resurrection does not arrive as a command to move on, but as a presence that waits.

To linger is not to lack faith. It is to love deeply and honestly. It is to stay close to what matters, even when the future is unclear. This Easter, maybe lingering is holy work. It means staying in the garden a little longer. Trusting that God is already at work, even when grief is still close, and hope has not yet risen.

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Fondly,

Crysti