Chatbot Easter

April 9, 2023 + The Resurrection of Our Lord + Pr. Michelle Sevig

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Artificial intelligence. You’rve heard of it, right?  Seems like there’s been a lot of hubbub lately about the dangers of AI. Elon Musk and others have called for a pause to AI citing “profound risks to society.” Professors and teachers are concerned about the influence of chatbots on their student’s research papers. And pastors have been cautioned not to succumb to the lure of a robot writing their sermons (especially their Easter sermons!).

That was all the temptation I needed… So I started playing around with Chatbot just for fun (side note: this sermon was not written by a chatbot) and I asked for it to rewrite the Easter story from the Gospel of John as a limerick, in Hamilton style and as Dr. Seuss. Dr. Seuss was my favorite.

Early on a Sunday, when the sun was not high,

A woman named Mary, with a tear in her eye,

Went to the tomb where Jesus did rest,

But to her surprise, it was not like the rest!

The stone was rolled away, "Oh me, oh my!

Where has he gone? Please, tell me why!"

She ran to Peter and John, in a rush,

To share the news, her heart aflutter, a hush.

Peter and John, with hearts so bold,

Ran to the tomb, as fast as they could hold.

They looked inside, and what did they see?

The linen clothes lying, but no body!

They scratched their heads, perplexed and confused,

What could this mean? They were bemused.

They went back home, pondering away,

While Mary stayed, near the tomb to pray..

And then, a voice so sweet and dear,

Made Mary turn, without any fear.

It was Jesus himself, alive and well,

But Mary didn't know, as the tale will tell.

Then Jesus said, "Mary!" with love so true,

Her eyes were opened, she finally knew.

"My Teacher, my Lord!" she exclaimed with delight,

As Jesus revealed himself in the morn’ light.

So Mary went, with news so grand,

To the disciples, a joyous band,

"Christ is risen!" she cried with delight,

"Alive and well, in glorious sight!"

And so the tale, of Easter morn,

Of Jesus risen, a hope reborn,

In Dr. Seuss style, with rhymes so bright,

Proclaims the truth of eternal light!

All of that took less than 20 seconds to produce! Using AI in this way is not dangerous, but fun and playful. Imagine if the writers of the gospels had had the benefit of a chatbot to write the stories of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. How many more details we’d have if they’d only had to speak into an iphone and retell the stories from their first-hand experience. 

Instead we read the accounts of Jesus’ resurrection that were written several years after it happened. The stories were shared orally, told from one believer to another, passed on from one generation to the next. When the stories are shared orally in a rhythmic poem it may be  easier to memorize, but instead the stories were shared with passion, heart and soul that no robot could ever provide. 

In John’s telling of the story we have Mary Magdalene and the disciples all reaching the tomb at different times, peering inside, seeing different things, peering  into the tomb again, coming to different conclusions, ending up in different locations, and being surprised by what they learn.  For John, the gospel writer, seeing something is the ultimate in truly understanding it. For Mary to declare that she has seen the lord, means she now fundamentally understands who Jesus is and what he is about. 

These first witnesses to the resurrection encountered something totally unprecedented, and they left with nothing but their very real (not artificial) human emotions to figure it all out. It is Mary Magdalene who stands by the tomb in her grief, who is too timid or maybe too respectful to go inside it like they did, who first begins to understand what God has done. It is Mary Magdalene, whose honest response of sorrow honors all our grief at what death has done to us. Mary is with all those who have ever stood at a graveside weeping, who have struggled to carry on like normal after the death of a loved one, or who have felt  isolated by grief  

Yet loneliness and despair are not how Mary’s story ends. Easter puts a new ending on the grief we bear, the sorrow we carry with us through this life. As she stands there she is approached by Jesus himself, and she only recognizes him when he says her name. She doesn’t piece together a theological mystery. She doesn’t recall the prophecies in the Scripture like a model Sunday School student. She doesn’t dazzle anyone with her grasp of the Apostles’ Creed. She simply hears him speak her name…and she knows Jesus has returned. She hears a voice that only one person can have…and she knows Godtriumphed over death and the grave. 

Mary leaves the garden and proclaims, “I have seen the Lord!” and through her witness we too are empowered to look death in the eye, to peer into the open tomb, to gather at scenes of tragedy and loss, and give witness to the promise of the resurrection. Resurrection of Jesus and new life for us. 

Today we celebrate the fullness of God’s presence in this world and beyond. We do this by singing joyfully, shouting “alleluia” and coming to the table for this Easter feast, proclaiming the saving death of our risen lord as we sing, “Christ has died. Christ is Risen. Christ will come again!”  And we trust that with God’s help, our faith will be deepened, and our spirits renewed to live into our belief.  We come, not because our faith is sufficient or because we have this Easter thing completely figured out, but because we long to be filled by the one who gives us new life. 

So now with a little help from “Chatbot Dr. Suess,” the final paragraph is produced. 

May Christ bless us, Easter morning bright,

With new life's promise, pure and light.

His word, life-giving, refresh our soul,

As he speaks our names with love's sweet toll.

Like Mary, empowered, with joy we shout,

The good news, we'll share, without a doubt.

"We've seen the Lord!" we'll proudly say,

Proclaiming his glory, this Easter day.

This Easter morn, let's praise his name,

With joyful hearts, we will proclaim.

May Christ's blessings fill us high and low,

As we journey with him, wherever we go.