Holy Saturday. Sabbath. In the beginning, for six days, God created. The seventh day was a day of rest. God commanded us to keep that day holy, to rest from our labors.
I wonder what Jesus' followers, those who believed he was the son of God, thought on that day, the day of rest when he was dead and there was nothing they could do except sit in grief.
Most of us, I would guess, do not observe Holy Saturday at all. We prepare for Easter, both in our churches and in our homes. We busy ourselves with flowers and food.
I invite you to take at least a few minutes on this Holy Saturday to rest. Just sit. Put aside your to-do list and try to quiet your racing brain. Sit outside the tomb of Jesus. Listen to the noises around you, smell the air, touch the ground. Wonder for a moment at the love God pours out to you, and open your heart to receive it.
Before Jesus walked that last road, he raised Lazarus from the dead. Jesus wants to raise us all from the dead places in our lives. In rest, we can gain clarity about the ways are we entombed, the wrappings that keep us from living our fullest lives. We can gain perspective on what is ours to do and what we do just so we don't have to think. And we can find energy and strength to do what is ours to do with a joyful heart.
Comments