The modern phrase “coming out,” widely associated with the LGBTQ+ experience, means stepping into the light and revealing an aspect of oneself that has long been hidden. It is a deeply personal and courageous act, one that defies the fear of rejection, misunderstanding, and judgment. Today’s Gospel reading (John 11:1–45) offers insights that can further enrich the meaning of this phrase.

In the Gospel narrative, Jesus goes to the tomb where Lazarus has been laid and cries out, “Come out!” (John 11:43). Although addressed to Lazarus, Jesus’ command resonates with every person trapped in some kind of tomb. This tomb is no longer merely a burial place, but whatever imprisons the human spirit. Some people languish in the tomb of fear, shame, addiction, resentment, despair, or sin. They are physically alive, yet inwardly dead.

Other striking details in the story add even deeper significance. The words “Come out!” are spoken by Jesus Himself. Lazarus emerges from the tomb not by his own initiative, but in response to a voice that knows him, loves him, and calls him by name. God takes the first step in freeing us from our self-made prisons so that we may enter into a life renewed by grace.

When Lazarus comes out, he is still bound in burial cloths. Jesus tells the community, “Untie him and let him go” (John 11:44). This reminds us that coming out is not always a single dramatic moment. It is often a gradual process. Freedom usually unfolds step by step, and it often requires the support, understanding, and compassion of the family and community.

Lazarus occupies a unique place in the Christian story. His being raised from the dead should not be understood as resurrection in its full and final sense. Resurrection means definitive transformation into glorified, immortal life beyond death. Jesus rose never to die again. Lazarus, by contrast, was restored to mortal life, but he would die again. He is not the embodiment of resurrection, but a witness to Christ’s power over death and a sign pointing toward the promise of our own future resurrection.

Some people, influenced more by horror films than by the Gospel, may imagine that if Lazarus was not fully resurrected, then he must have been a zombie, a mindless, decaying corpse wandering among the living. But the Gospel presents Lazarus not as a grotesque or frightening figure, but as a restored human being, fully alive, fully conscious, and fully himself.

Interestingly, the image of the zombie opens up an unsettling modern parallel. Jesus’s command, “Come out!” may also be addressed to us who are sealed, not in caves of stone, but in digital tombs. We are buried beneath noise, distraction, endless scrolling, and superficial connections. We are constantly online, yet often absent from real life. Families share the same table but not the same attention. Minds are filled with information but emptied of depth. We may be breathing, clicking, posting, and reacting, yet not fully living. We risk becoming spectators of life rather than participants in it.

To be fair, technology itself is not the enemy. Digital tools are not inherently dehumanizing. They enhance our creativity and foster genuine human connection. The problem begins when we surrender mastery over our lives to these tools and allow them to shape our thoughts, decisions, and behavior to the point of diminishing our humanity.

Today, more than ever, Christ stands before the tombs we ourselves have built. He is shouting, “Come out!” Will we heed His voice and, like Lazarus, step into the light, no longer chained by fear, guilt, resentment, shame, or sin? Will we allow Him to free us from our bondage to screens, distractions, and hollow forms of living, so that we may recover the fullness of life God desires for us?

It is tragic when we mistake our tomb for our home. Then Jesus’s words, “Come out!” lose their power over us, for once we have grown accustomed to our zombie-like existence, we will no longer desire to leave.