April 20, 2025 The Eighth Day

Easter is a day ironically almost beyond belief. Even those who sit week after week have a difficulty in believing every claim made about Easter. Let’s admit it, the resurrection is a lot for us moderns to accept without some struggle of belief. But not everyone struggles equally. Professor Tom Long tells the story he heard from one of his friends about the man’s little son who was a great fan of Captain Kangaroo and Mister Rogers. The boy faithfully watched both TV shows and one day it was announced that Mister Rogers would appear on the Captain Kangaroo Show. The boy was ecstatic! Both of his heroes, together on the same show! Every morning the boy would ask, “Is it today that Mister Rogers will be on the Captain Kangaroo Show?” Finally, the great day arrived, and the whole family joined the little boy to watch. There they were, Mister Rogers and Captain Kangaroo, together on one show. The boy watched for a minute, but then, surprisingly, he got up and wandered from the room. Puzzled, his father followed him to his room and asked, “What is it son? Is anything wrong?” “It’s too good,” the boy replied dreamily. “It’s just too good.” Maybe that’s how it is for all of us. The betrayal, the suffering, dying, the empty tomb, and the news of the resurrection, the news of Jesus’ victory over death is just too good to believe, too much to assimilate all at once. I look forward to the faithful gathering of the church for Easter. “It’s just too good.”