The feeling of today is two-fold. First, an intense sadness, replaying that horrible day when all the world was black, when there was no hope because the One who was supposed to save was dead. Dead... Gone... What were they supposed to do? Who would save them? Would they be perpetually stuck in their sin, separated from their Creator forever? Why did the world continue? The One who held the universe in place was gone, why did it not spin into chaos?
There is no Gospel reading for Holy Saturday in the Protestant Revised Common Lectionary. Yet Job says, "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth." And the Psalms say, "I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living," and "Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you? Is your steadfast love declared in the grave?" and "Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!" Romans and Hebrews tell us of the Jesus who was raised, and the Spirit who now lives in us.
This is the second feeling of today. While we re-live the day when the only true Life was dead, there is still the knowledge, underneath the surface of our minds, that He is Alive! Tomorrow the Tomb will be Empty, Death itself will work Backwards, we will forever be invited to live in God's presence, no longer will we be separated by a veil and blood. Tomorrow... There is hope, beloved, all we must do is last the night for joy, Joy, JOY comes in the morning!
