[musings from the manse – 11th April 2020]
What do we do about that strange day stuck between Good Friday and Easter Sunday?
We’re not even all that sure what to call it. It’s not Easter Saturday because Easter doesn’t happen until the next day. I suppose Easter Eve is appropriate, but that makes it sounds a bit Christmassy. Holy Saturday makes it sounds all very … well, very holy. When actually it is a day that we don’t really know what to do with.
Do we just treat it like we do any other Saturday? Do the shopping? Wash the car? Mow the lawn? Go for a bike ride? Or do we do something else?
In this time of lockdown when days blur into one another, when we can easily forget what day of the week it actually is, we may not even notice it is Saturday.
The Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday used to be a day of silent reflection. However, for many of us life does not always allow for that.
But what would we reflect upon anyway?
Nothing seems to happen on Saturday in the story of Passion week in the bible. It is the missing day. Jesus dies on Friday, is buried on Friday evening just before they start the day of rest, the sabbath, and then the story picks up first thing Sunday morning with the resurrection.
Peter, in his first letter in the New Testament, makes a cryptic reference to Jesus going to the realm of the dead, but that is not a lot to go on and it is not really the most restful image to reflect upon.
Maybe it is that idea of sabbath rest that should be our focus this Saturday.
We mark Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and we will celebrate on Easter Sunday; perhaps we do not need to do anything on the Saturday.
Perhaps God wants us to rest and reflect.
Maybe Saturday is just a day to stop and enjoy the silence, knowing that Christ has died and is risen.
Rest, be silent, and just enjoy being a child of God.