On Easter Sunday, religious leaders and the disciples had all witnessed the same event. However, both saw something differently. A few years ago, I was getting ready to leave the house for a run and as my wife and I talked, I learned that she was soon going to run an errand. Jokingly, I told her that if she sees a tired, weary, ready to drop guy along the road that she should stop and pick him up. Her kindly reply was, “If you are lying beside the road, I will stop.”

I was on my return leg when I saw her car coming up the country road but unfortunately there was another car just ahead of her. As I was running, the other car just passed by and I stopped. I turned and looked at the car that had passed and then at my wife’s still coming. I wanted to ensure all went well as I looked at my approaching wife. I picked a soft spot and then I clutched my chest and fell to the side of the road. As I lay there smiling and kicking, my head turned towards the car that had passed.

What does my caring, compassionate, loving wife of some 30 years do? She laughs, she breaks into an uncontrollable, hysterical laughter as she slows down to take it all in. However, much to my dismay I look at the other car which by now is 200 feet up the road and apparently had observed everything in his mirror. To my dismay, he has slammed on his brakes and is proceeding to back down the road. It took a great deal of hand waving to get him to put it into drive and continue down the road, probably very confused.

Both individuals saw the same thing. One thought I was dead or dying while the other knew I was very much alive. Who are you on this Easter Sunday?