“Bump, bump, bump”. Once again the cardinal flew into the dining room window. He wouldn’t stop and I was convinced he was hurting himself. Unfortunately I couldn’t tell him to not do that. I don’t speak “bird” and so couldn’t communicate and explain that there was not any rival bird in the window, just his own reflection.

In some ways, that is the Jesus’ story: He came to earth to be able to communicate to us in a way that we would understand and to prevent us from the ultimate harm- separation from God.

But this is where the analogy ends. Jesus sacrificed all for us: humbling himself as a human and suffering all the conditions we do including the most horrible death. The good news, why this weekend is one of eternal importance, is that Jesus also conquered death- He rose from the grave (spoiler alert for tomorrow) and lives (no past tense).

Holy Saturday. The day of rest or Sabbath, for the Jews in Jesus’ day. They had to quickly take him off the cross Friday night, before sundown and bury him before the Sabbath began. What I find interesting is that God didn’t have some cosmic resurrection from the cross. He could’ve. He could’ve saved himself, come down from the cross, as many in the mocking crowd suggested but Jesus had to be declared dead and buried in order to completely conquer death and win the battle for all of us and our sins.

For us, Holy Saturday should be a comfort. While it is a day of mourning, Saturday represents the time when things are becoming right with God. The time cannot be rushed. There is some waiting involved. I wonder if the waiting is another analogy of the waiting that God is doing until all His beloved children come back to Him. We are living in the interval time from what was (Creation) to what will be (new Heaven and Earth). The intermission between acts.

And so Saturday is a day of “rest” before Easter Sunday. While we know what happens tomorrow and what that changes for us and for humankind, we still have to live through Saturday. A day that must’ve been surreal, troubling, full of anguish for Jesus’ family, friends and followers. For many, mourning is a season of rest, a complete pause from what was and what will be. It is an intermission that is difficult, emotional, and seemingly unrelenting. Yet it cannot be rushed. It is a time that prepares us for an eternal reunion. It is the interval that connects the past to the future: mourning that will turn into dancing someday.

As we prepare for Easter, do you believe that Jesus did come to earth? That he lived, suffered, died and rose again? Do you think that he saved us from ourselves or is that a manmade ideology to provide comfort in unexplainable circumstances?

Are you living in your own “Holy Saturday”? Are you grieving the loss of a loved one? How can you come alongside someone who is mourning? In this time of Corona, while we may not physically come alongside one another, could you offer support over the phone, a letter or email?