Lazarus, Come Forth!

The raising of Lazarus in John's Gospel is one of the most dramatic and poignant episodes in scripture. While traditionally read as a story about friendship and faith, Dear shows through his extended meditations how this story summarizes the persistent theme of the Gospel. If Lazarus represents humanity, the story of his raising is about the God of Life confronting the power of death itself, calling humanity to walk out of the tombs of death--the culture of violence and war--and into "the new life of resurrection peace." According to Dear, the Gospel urges us to carry on this liberating work of Jesus today: to remove the stone that keeps us trapped in cultures of violence, to call each other out of the tombs, to unbind one another and set each other free to live in peace. In pursuing this work, we fulfill our vocations as disciples of Jesus and enter the fullness of life today.