Read any of the Gospel accounts of the early morning on the day of Jesus’ resurrection:- Matthew: 28: 1 – 10; Mark 16: 1 – 8; Luke: 24; 1 – 12: John 20: 1 – 18

Now, I’d like to introduce you to a word that may be new to you – ‘Interrobang’

Interrobang is the name of a symbol.  It’s a combination of a question mark and an exclamation mark and it looks like the picture above.

The name of the symbol ‘interrobang’ comes from a combination of the words ‘interrogative point’ (another name for a question mark) and ‘bang’ which is printers slang for an exclamation mark. The ‘interrobang’ was officially created by an advertising executive in 1962.

‘Interrobang’ asks a question in an excited manner, it communicates, surprise, or disbelief.  It expresses the incredibility of life, those things that are both puzzling and exciting all at the same time. It’s also for the rhetorical question.

Mary and the other disciples had an Interrobang moment when they discovered that Jesus body was not in the tomb‽ Like them, we are both puzzled and incredibly happy – excited even – to find that Jesus did not stay dead, but is alive – forever‽ So, the interrobang symbol could be our symbol for Easter!

It could also be a symbol for prayer, because it reflects the idea that we can shout ‘Yes!’ whilst having questions and being doubtful, all at the same time‽.

In prayer the question mark and the exclamation mark meet together‽

Universe – and every universe beyond
spin and blaze… whirl and dance,
leap and laugh as never before.
It’s happened…  It’s new…  It’s here…
The liberation… The victory… The new creation.
Christ has smashed death.

He has liberated the world.
He has freed the universe.
You and I and everything
are free again… new again… alive again…

Let’s have a festival
and follow him across the skies,
through the flames of heaven… and back…
down every snicket and jitty and ginnel of our town.

And there let’s have him come to liberate our towns,
clean up the mess and start again.
You, Lord, conquered
Keep on fighting through us.
You arose… Keep on arising in us.
You celebrated… Keep on celebrating with us.
You happen… You are new…You are here.

From the book Interrobang – Lutterworth Press. 1970. p.68 altd.

Rev Janine