The Seven Wonders of the World.

A man named Antipater compiled a list of truly amazing creations back in the second century, B.C. They included the hanging gardens of Babylon and the temple of Artemis, seven wonders that are now all gone — except for the Great Pyramid in Egypt.

With only one ancient wonder still standing, it’s time for a new list.

A Swiss adventurer named Bernard Weber has accepted this challenge, launching the New 7 Wonders Foundation. He has a website — of course — which allows people from around the world to vote on a fresh list of landmarks.

“The old seven wonders were decided by one single man,” he tells Newsweek magazine (July 31, 2006). “I think today we would like to see a more democratic world where people are allowed to participate.”

So, what would you like to support on the website new7wonders.com? The Great Wall of China? The Taj Mahal? Stonehenge? The Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower, or Sydney Opera House?

Enthusiasm for the competition has been high, especially in developing countries. In China, as many as 10,000 people per day have been casting ballots. Schools have used the foundation’s website for history and geography classes. Some Egyptians have been offended by the contest, calling it “absurd” and saying that the pyramids certainly “don’t need a vote to be among the world’s wonders.”

Other people have made light-hearted nominations, suggesting that the Wonders of the World should definitely include German chocolate cake. Another man reported that he has been lying on his lawn for three weeks without moving. He hopes that satellites will take pictures of him, and everyone will vote him to be one of the Seven Wonders.

Yeah, I would certainly wonder about that guy.

Twenty-eight million people have voted so far, and the winning sites will be announced in a live worldwide broadcast on July 7, 2007 — a date abbreviated as 7/7/07.

A good day to announce the new Seven Wonders.

Today is Easter Sunday, the day each year we are confronted by the greatest wonder of the Christian faith: The empty tomb. On the first day of the week, at early dawn, a group of women come to the tomb of Jesus, taking the spices they had prepared to anoint his body. Luke tells us that they find the stone rolled away from the tomb, and when they go inside, they do not find the body (Luke 24:1-3). The tomb is empty.

The women are perplexed — of course. Who has shifted the stone and removed the body? Grave-robbers? Roman soldiers? Jewish leaders? Disciples of Jesus? They are surprised not by what they see, but by what they don’t see. This great Wonder of the World is a big nothing. An empty hole.

Suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stand beside them. Luke doesn’t tell us that they are angels, but they certainly come across as supernatural — their clothes are radiant and gleaming, like lightning! The women are terrified and bow their faces to the ground, and the men say to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen” (vv. 4-5).

The dazzling visitors ask an important question here — “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” So often our focus is misplaced, and we look in the wrong locations for evidence of God’s activity in human life.

In terms of the New Seven Wonders, I have to question why all of the wonders on the list are construction projects, such as the Colosseum in Rome and the Inca city of Machu Picchu in Peru. Maybe the greatest Wonders of the World aren’t physical structures at all. Maybe they should include:

- The Fellow Man International medical clinic in the mountains of Honduras, serving an impoverished population of over 120,000 men, women and children.
- The Volunteer Villages established along the Gulf Coast as part of the Presbyterian response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
- The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, dedicated to improving lives around the world, through improvements in health and education.

These projects are wonders, no doubt about it. But we tend to be much more dazzled by piles of stone. Maybe we have been looking for signs of life among the dead, and missing the places where God is really at work among us.

Closer to home, think of the spot in your own life where your focus is misplaced. I have to admit that I am impressed by Wonders of the World such as best-selling books, new cars, fancy electronics, impressive investment portfolios — things that I often want for myself, and envy in others. But when I focus on these sorts of things, I realize that I am looking for the living among the dead. God’s activity in my life is really to be found in:

- Work that is meaningful and productive, from making hospital visits to preaching sermons.
- Family life that is loving and supportive … but also what Martin Luther called “a school for character.”
- Small group activities in this church, from Friday Bible studies to annual trips with the Midlife Men on a Mission.

These are the Wonders of my World, and I need to keep my focus on them. They are the places in which I feel God is really active in my life.

The dazzling visitors in the resurrection story tell the women that Jesus “is not here, but has risen.” They stress that Jesus cannot be found in an empty tomb, trapped in a pile of lifeless rocks. Jesus is moving ahead of them, always ahead of them, calling them into the future that he desires for them. “Remember how he told you,” they say, “that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again” (vv. 6-7). The betrayal and death of Jesus were horrifying events, but they were never meant to be the end of the story — Christ had to rise again, and move ahead.

Where is it in your life that you need resurrection? Where do you need to move from death to new life? Jesus is traveling ahead of you, calling you into the future that he desires for you. Although you may not always be able to see Jesus clearly, know that he is out in front, leading the way. Notice that the women in today’s Scripture lesson don’t get to see Jesus face to face, but they hear about his resurrection … and they believe.

An example from the world of motorcycles can help us to grasp this need to look ahead. Motorcycle riders say that one of the keys to survival is “looking through the curves.” This means keeping your head up, and looking not only at the path in front of you, but also gazing a good distance down the road, so that you can see what’s coming at you and be alert for potential hazards.

The same is true in the world of Christian faith. When we believe that Christ has, in fact, been raised from the dead, we are able to look through the curves and see that Jesus is leading us to new life. He is not here, standing right in front of us, but is moving ahead of us and showing us the way.

- Through the curve of divorce, we gain wisdom about ourselves, and discover hidden truths about relationships.
- Through the curve of job loss, we find resourcefulness and strength that we never knew we possessed.
- Through the curve of failure in school, we open our eyes to new possibilities for our futures.
- Through the curve of illness, we realize that a healing of the spirit can occur even as the body struggles for a cure.
- Through the curve of a painful death, we discover that we are upheld by the love of family and friends and a powerful Holy Spirit.
- Through the curve of a struggle with temptation, we feel the mercy of Jesus, who died and rose to save us from sin and death.

Jesus is leading us through all the twists and turns we face, and offering us the gift of new life. This is truly a Wonder of the World.

Today’s passage ends with the women leaving the tomb, and going to tell the apostles and all the rest that Jesus has been raised (vv. 8-9). This gives me an idea — I want this to be your homework as you leave this worship service today. Think about a place in your life where God is really at work, and tell a friend or a family member about it. Figure out where you feel Jesus is leading you, and share that new direction with someone close to you.

Make this your homework. No kidding. Spring break is ending, and it’s time to get to work!

You may find that people don’t believe you right away. That’s what happened to the women — their words struck the apostles as “an idle tale, and they did not believe them” (v. 11).

But don’t give up. The empty tomb is truly a Wonder of the World, and people are going to wonder about it. If you talk about an experience of God’s presence in worship, people are going to want to check it out. If you speak about a small group that has really changed your life, friends are going to want to have the same experience. If you feel led to participate in a mission project such as Christmas in April / Rebuilding Together, family members are going to want to see what is so special about it.

Luke tells us that Peter got up and ran to the tomb, saw it for himself, and went home — amazed at what had happened (v. 12). He may have doubted at first, but then he had to check it out. The same will be true for people who hear about where God is at work in your life, and where Jesus is leading you.

You don’t have to have all the answers. Just a willingness to talk with others about the Wonders of your World. Amen.


Sources:
Zvika Krieger, “Wonder of Wonders,” Newsweek, July 31, 2006, 12.
John Ward Anderson, “The Seven Wonders Reconsidered,” The Washington Post, March 13, 2007, A10.