Anastasis, which means “up” or “rising,” is the ancient Greek word used by Orthodox Christianity for what the churches of Western Christianity call “resurrection.” While the English translation of the word is “resurrection,” anastasis holds a somewhat different understanding from the modern Western Church. The Western Church (rooted in Augustine) describes resurrection individually: Christ rises triumphantly and magnificently—but utterly alone. The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates a more universal resurrection. Christ rises triumphantly and magnificently—and takes all of creation with him. Universal resurrection underlines the contrast between Rome’s violence and Jesus’ nonviolence.

In today’s reading, the apostles have been arrested and brought to the high priest for defying the order of the Sanhedrin not to teach in Jesus’ name. The apostles are charged with intending “to bring this man’s blood upon us.” Peter and the others say, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.”

Like the apostles, we know unquestioning obedience and loyalty to the powers of the state can lead us to dark places. We remember that blind obedience to Nazism led to the horrible violence of the Holocaust. After the death of Jesus, his followers become a persecuted community, and the apostles resist the obedience imposed by both the religious establishment and the state. We can see such resistance to injustice in our contemporary world. In recent months we have seen athletes “take a knee” as nonviolent resistance to racism as part of the Black Lives Matter Movement. Carefully and prayerfully ponder disobedience as an act of faithfulness.