April 11

Day 28: Hope-filled waiting

I experienced public shaming yesterday. None of it verbal, but real none the less. People saw me and covered up. I was a leper. My crime? Not wearing a face mask.

Without a face mask, there are now two places I cannot go in town without being (at least) non-verbally shamed: the Mendenhall Post Office...and anywhere else.

I read this morning how Solomon asked God for wisdom. I prayed the same for me (though pretty confident I won't get it in the same measure.) But, I do seem to possess enough wisdom to see that people are reacting out of fear.

No one wants to get sick. Everyone wants to be compliant. (No Einstein level brilliance needed here.)

I also found myself wondering what was going on in the minds of the disciples of Jesus on "that" Saturday. I wonder what they did to fill their time. (I will be doing yard work, if you're asking.)

We know some went back that early morning (after the Sabbath had completed) to anoint and embalm the Lord's body. But even in keeping busy, what were they thinking? What were the non-embalmers thinking?

My guess is, they didn't know what to think. The Prophets' statements weren't coming to mind. It's also my guess they were confused, and fearful. Hope was perhaps not held as a viable option.

They likely thought fearful thoughts.

I Googled what that day wedged in between Good Friday and Easter Sunday has been called through the ages: "Holy Saturday" sounds nice. "Black Saturday" not so much.

In any regard, they waited as they attempted to mentally and emotionally process. They waited to see what, if anything, would happen next. they waited to see what their lives would be like if nothing more happened.

We wait too. We wait for this virus to run its course. We wait for our home detention to end. We wait to see our economy begin to recover and jobs reinstated. We wait to see each other for real. (We wait to tan up the rest of our faces?)

Like our spiritual ancestors we Christians wait for Jesus. We know what happened on that Easter. The resurrection of Jesus has changed everything. But we wait for the consummation of God's entire rescue plan.

Titus 2:11-14 "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age., waiting for our BLESSED HOPE, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works."

Aside from being a very long sentence, we read that we also are waiting. We wait in hope for the already resurrected Jesus to return in glory, to unify heaven and earth, to fix the wrongs and to wipe away the tears that respond to those wrongs.

We wait for Him.

Celebrating Easter, as we will tomorrow, is a foretaste, a preview of what we will do on that blessed day, the final and most spectacular Day of the Lord.

Whatever you find to do today on this Holy (or Black) Saturday, do it well. Do it hopeful!

-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church | Juneau