Best. Gag. Ever.

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, 

Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 

So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” -- John 20:1-2

Sunday . . . Palm Sunday . . . All Fools' Day. Nice ready-made blog idea. 

There have been some remarkable pranks pulled for All Fools' Day. 

In 1957 the BBC aired a story about a bumper crop of spaghetti grown in some small town someplace. The story was replete with TV "news" footage of locals harvesting huge handsful of spaghetti from their "spaghetti orchards."

In 1982, I was told by my husband that the insurance company was needing more information before they would pay the hospital bills following our son's birth. He gave me the number to call and said I should speak with Mr. Lyon. What he failed to mention was that the number he gave me was for the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo.

This morning a friend in Australia, who posts a daily "Morning News Wrap-Up" that is better than CNN most days, posted a number of tidbits, including Mitt Romney's departure from the Republican presidential race and France admitting involvement in the death of Princess Diana.

And of course, all those years teaching-- well, one year we had a pet hedgehog in the classroom. On All Fools' Day, "someone" brought in several of those prickly seed pods from a sweet gum tree and told the children "Hedgie" had had babies!

But who could ever, ever outprank the Almighty?

Imagine. Imagine being one of those women who followed Jesus to Galilee, to Jerusalem-- all the way to the cross.

Imagine showing up on Easter morning at the tomb, armed with spices and linens, prepared to show the body of their Lord the loving care he deserved-- only to find the large stone that had sealed the tomb rolled away, and the body of Jesus missing!

Imagine being Peter, or John, and peering into the tomb, only to see the graveclothes, still in their windings-- but flat! The cloth from Jesus' head, neatly folded and off by itself.

I wonder what the equivalent of "What the heck???" might have been in those days.

And the "prank" continued for forty days, as Jesus made a number of appearances to his disciples. In the Upper Room behind locked doors, on the road to Emmaus-- they just never knew where he would show up next.

Imagine. 

Imagine serving a God who still shows up in unexpected ways and places, and not just on All Fools' Day. 

Imagine a God who just loves to surprise his children.

Today, slow down and watch for places where you see God-- for the first time. In a stranger's smile, in the beauty of a street musician's tune. Lift your eyes, open them wide and see as for the first time.

And then-- believe. Believe in the ever-present, ever-loving Father.

God of love and surprises, thank you for allowing us a peek at your perfection. May we always be surprised, not that you care enough to shower us with blessing, but at the overwhelming abundance of grace you continue to bestow upon us, day after day after day. Amen.