Episode Transcript  

One

 Not a Ghost

When Jesus first appeared to the apostles as a group, they were, understandably, overwhelmed and alarmed. They don’t know what to think, and some of them clearly seem to think they’re seeing a ghost and not Christ in the flesh. We know this because Jesus has to tell them to calm down, and, specifically, He has to reassure them that He’s not a ghost.  He even has to prove it.

Listen to Luke’s narrative, “He stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”  But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them.” (Luke 24:36-43).

Why does Jesus have to convince them He’s not a ghost? Why is it better not to be a ghost? And what does that have to do with the way we try to live this Easter Season?

Two

What is a Ghost?

A ghost is, basically, someone who has died and is now disconnected from their body. Now, why is that such a troubling thing? On the most basic level, it’s because we human beings are designed to be both body and soul, so a soul without a body is a kind of truncated thing; something less than fully human.

But more practically speaking, the body is how we stay connected to the reality around us: to nature, to delight, to other people. When we think of a ghost, like a ghost roaming around a haunted house, we think of a floating mind disconnected from the reality all around it. And the scary thing is, a lot of people live like ghosts when they’re still in the body.

Three

Ghosts in the Machine

In the late 1940s, the philosopher Gilbert Ryle introduced the phrase “ghost in a machine” to describe a view of the human person as a mind detached from the body and the whole physical reality in which it was living.

That phrase has resonated with a lot of people in the contemporary world: People who feel disconnected from reality and its goodness. People who haunt the world like ghosts, even while they’re alive. They live on screens instead of in nature. They take drugs to have private feelings and visions. They eat fake food to stimulate pleasure, instead of to nourish the body and keep it healthy. They live in fantasy worlds of pornography and news, instead of noticing what’s around them. Worst of all, they text and post instead of working to get to know the people they live and work with. 

Christ is calling us to resurrected life, that means a full life. He didn’t come back a ghost, and that’s certainly not what He wants us to live like now.

Four

Reconnect to Reality

Christ shows us, even in His resurrected mode, how to stay in touch with the goodness of reality that surrounds us. He enters into nature. Remember how, in John’s gospel, He meets them on the shore? Then He starts a fire for them to sit around. And He walks along the road to Emmaeus with two of His disciples.

Christ very often meets His followers outdoors. He also, several times, eats good food with them. Part of His proof that He’s not a ghost is that He eats. And, of course, He’s there for them in person. They can touch Him. He’s there, in front of them, not just an image or a message, but a physical presence. So look: stop living like a ghost. Go out in nature, and pray, and praise God. Do what Jesus did. Go to the seashore or a lake. Build a campfire. Take a walk. And celebrate with good food and good friends.

These are the best things life has to offer. It’s where we meet Christ. And it’s part of how we prepare for eternal life with Him.

Five

Preparation for Heaven – more, not less. 

Jesus says in John’s Gospel, “I came that they might have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

After the Resurrection, when He tells the apostles, repeatedly, that He’s not a ghost, part of what He means is that He’s not living some truncated, impoverished life. He’s living the fullness of life. He’s utterly connected to the goodness of reality, the goodness of which He is the supreme cause.

Easter is the time to delight in the fullness of life, to let go of the second-rate substitutes of our sins and our low-grade entertainments, and enter into the goodness of reality. And remember, the heavenly life Christ’s resurrection paves the way for is a life that is more full, more rich than our life here. He hasn’t prepared a ghostly, disconnected, lonely, and selfish Heaven. So don’t live a ghostly, disconnected, lonely, or selfish life now. Live like you love life, and love it to the full.

Suggested Resolutions:

Choose one resolution for today to help you grow closer to God, or create your own. Here are some ideas to inspire you.

• Figure out what’s keeping you from living a full life and cut back: whether that’s your screen time, alcohol, TV, games, whatever it is, track your time and reflect on how it makes you feel afterwards.

• Invite someone to hold you accountable for your screen time and consider entering into a friendly competition, growing in community and fullness of life by your efforts.

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