Still in One Peace – March 25, 2026

Weekly Conversations with Pastor Jeff

This past Sunday, I was preaching/teaching about Lazarus. I mentioned the book, “Come Forth,”
by Fr. James Martin, SJ. Since this is the Season of Lent, a time for self-examination and reflection, I want to share some things I think are important for us to remember:

  1. Facing the “Stench”: Embracing God’s Love for Our Mess

Martin emphasizes that Jesus was not afraid of the “stench” (John 11:39) of Lazarus’s decaying body, just as God is not afraid of the rotten or shameful parts of our own lives.

  • The Theme: We often keep a “stone” tightly shut over parts of our past or our character that feel putrid—old resentments, ego, or secrets.
  • The Call: New life begins by admitting that these parts exist and trusting that God wants to confront them with us rather than abandon us to them.
  1. Leaving the Tomb: The Decision to Let Things Die

The central question Martin poses is: “What can you leave behind in the tomb?” This involves a metaphorical death and resurrection that happens throughout our daily lives.

  • The Theme: To “come forth,” we must identify the “unfreedoms” or unhealthy patterns that keep us stuck.
  • The Call: Following God more closely requires us to let certain things die—such as an overweening ego or the need to always be right—so that something new can be born in us through God’s grace.
  1. Unbinding One Another: The Role of Community in Freedom

When Lazarus emerges, Jesus commands the bystanders to “Unbind him, and let him go” (John 11:44).

  • The Theme: While Jesus provides the life, the community is often responsible for removing the “grave clothes” that still cling to a person.
  • The Call: We are invited to help others shed their limiting beliefs and the labels that bind them. Spiritual freedom is rarely a solo journey; it involves trusted friends, counselors, or spiritual directors who help us step into the sunlight.

Fr. Martin uses “grave clothes” as a powerful metaphor for the internal and external forces that keep us “unfree,” even after we have begun to move toward new life. Here are specific examples of these “grave clothes.”

  1. The “Clothes” of False Identity

Martin suggests we are often bound by labels—either those we’ve given ourselves or those others have forced upon us.

  • The “I am not enough” Shroud: The deep-seated belief that you are inadequate, a mistake, or fundamentally unlovable.
  • The “Victim” Wrap: Clinging to past hurts so tightly that they define your present, preventing you from seeing the “light” of new possibilities.
  • Comparison: The constant need to measure your worth against others, which Martin describes as a kind of “spiritual death”.
  1. The “Clothes” of Destructive Habits (The “Stench”)

These are the “unfreedoms” that make us feel “rotten” or “putrid” inside, which we try to hide behind a closed stone.

  • Addictions: Martin specifically names dependencies on drugs, pornography, gambling, or alcohol as modern grave clothes that physically and spiritually bind us.
  • The “Sharp Tongue”: Using sarcasm or cruelty as a defense mechanism or for a “gleeful” sense of power over others.
  • Petty Vices: “Social media nastiness,” cheating in small ways, or consistently avoiding hard work or the needs of friends in the hospital.
  1. The “Clothes” of Fear and Resentment

These are the layers that keep us “stuck” in the darkness of the tomb, even when the door is open.

  • Unforgiveness: Holding onto bitterness toward those who have wronged us—a heavy, constricting cloth that prevents us from walking freely into God’s grace.
  • Despondency: A spirit-crushing hopelessness that makes it feel easier to stay in the “dark and wet cavity” of the tomb than to step out into the “fresh air”.
  • The Need for Control: The refusal to let things “die in their proper season,” which keeps us from receiving the new life God is trying to offer.