The Rev. Ross Varney, pastor of the Belleville Congregational Church of Newburyport in The Daily News of Newburyport:
I may be a rebel, even a heretic of some sort if studied by orthodox theologians, but I never have been much interested in what exactly happened to Jesus’ body. The endless Shroud of Turin investigations do not captivate my attention. In my college years, a popular book among some Christians was "Evidence that Demands a Verdict." Even though I was a science major, it only held my attention for a chapter or two. Any attempt to "prove" the bodily resurrection of Jesus has always seemed pointless to me, even though I think most all of us have some "Doubting Thomas" in us; we’d believe more if we could see him in bodily form, touch his wounds, etc. But Jesus did not and does not come to the foot of everyone’s bed and make a personal, physical appearance. So, Jesus’ physical body on that empty tomb day must not be the most important thing. Far more important, it seems to me, is how does his Spirit live on. We remember that Jesus said, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." He also said that he must go away (in the body), for the Holy Spirit to come to the disciples … so that his legacy and presence would always be a matter of his Spirit.
But the human passion to seek answers whether from science, history, theology or philosophy is natural. It is part of the human spirit. The shroud captivates the attention of many people. For some it is to try to prove the Resurrection. For some it is the intellectual challenge associated with solving a puzzle.
Read on. It is a good article: Easter: It’s the Spirit that matters! » Local News » NewburyportNews.com, Newburyport, MA