PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

April 20, 2025

A VR EASTER

The Center for Hospice Care provides hospice care, palliative care, and impatient care for Elkhart, Fulton, Kosciusko, LaGrange, LaPorte, Marshall, Porter, St. Joseph, and Starke counties in northern Indiana.  The center operates on the philosophy that everyone deserves to live on their own terms, especially at the end of life. The Center for Hospice Care is a non-profit and will not turn anyone away, regardless of their ability to pay.

The Center for Hospice Care puts out a monthly newsletter for their volunteers.  The focus of their April 2025 newsletter the use of virtual reality in palliative care. “VR is an immersive experience that allows users to explore different environments digitally, such as 360-degree views of geographical locations like mountains or beaches, giving them a sense of being physically present in that location.  Users typically wear a headset and special gloves to track their movements, which allows them to explore their virtual surroundings as if they were actually there. … VR may provide distraction from pain and anxiety, as well as allow patients to explore different environments and scenarios they may not otherwise be able to experience in real life (Volunteer Newsletter, April 2025).”

            “You Are There” is a television series that ran on CBS television from February 1, 1953, until October 13,1957.  The program would report on historical times as they were happening at the moment.  The host, Walter Cronkite, at the beginning of each report would remind viewers, “What sort of day was it?  A day like all days, filled with those events that alter and illuminate our time … all things are as they were then, except you are there.”

Wouldn’t it be a real blessing if thru the miracle of VR, we could be there the first Easter.  We could experience the violent earthquake which was caused by an angel of the Lord descending to roll away the stone. We would be able to watch as the women make their journey with heavy hearts to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body with spices.  We could share their shock when they discovered that the stone had been rolled back from the tomb.  We could overhear an angel telling the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.  Come and see the place where he lay.  Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee.  There you will see him.’ Now I have told you (Matthew 28:5b-7).”

VR would allow us to watch the women returning to tell the disciples what they had discovered.  We would watch as Peter and other disciples rush to the tomb and Simon Peter seeing for himself that the tomb was empty.  We would watch as everyone but Mary Magdalene leave, and Jesus appears to her.  We could hear him say to her “Mary.”  Later we might want to visit the disciples who had gathered behind locked doors and Jesus appears to them.

We can see the guards who were to secure the tomb react to the stone being rolled away.  We can watch as some of the guards, report to the chief priest what has taken place.  We could observe the chief priest meeting with the elders where they devised a plan to explain what has happened.

While this Easter we can not experience the first Easter through the miracle VR, we can gather with other Christians and experience some of the joy and hope that Jesus’ resurrection produced.  We can experience the first Easter in our hearts and souls.

 (Comments may be sent to davidh15503@embarqmail.com.)