Holy Saturday

Meditate in the quiet of the liminal space. Today, we know Resurrection Sunday comes, but 2,000+ years ago, the disciples were left in confusion and fear.

If you’ve ever felt confused about your faith, you’re not alone.

If you’ve ever felt like the rug was pulled out from under you, you’re not alone.

If you’ve ever felt like everything you thought was real has suddenly come crashing down, you’re not alone.

If you’ve ever felt afraid to associate with Jesus, you’re not alone.

If you’ve ever felt the devastating loss of someone you desperately loved, you’re not alone.

If you’ve ever hidden away from the world because you don’t know what to do next, you’re not alone.

If you’ve ever felt like all the momentum in your life came to a screeching halt, you’re not alone.

If you’ve ever felt like everything you believed might actually be untrue, you’re not alone.

As post-resurrection Christians, we often overlook the experience of Holy Saturday. But just as it harms us to spiritually bypass our real experiences now, it does us a profound disservice to breeze past the real experiences of the disciples after Jesus’ death.

That day between the crucifixion and the resurrection has so much to offer us. So much we can identify with. So much space to help us accept our own experiences. So much validation for our own confusion, fear, and pain.

While we may know the full story of Easter, the reality is that we’ve never lived to see, hear, or touch Jesus in flesh and blood. Our lives are lived in the belief that a story that’s been passed down through generations is real, true, and relevant to our lives today. In a way, our lives are lived in the fog of that Saturday. We’ve been told the story of resurrection, but we still have to hold onto belief for its truth.

Friend, there is so much grace in your story. Will you let today be an invitation to imagine Holy Saturday from Jesus’ loved one’s perspective? And will you allow that to open a door for you to engage with your own story? Your confusion, your heartache, your fear, your anger. It’s all valid. Tomorrow, we’ll remember the miracle of resurrection and all that it has to offer us, but for today, give yourself space to be human, even if that means you don’t know what to think, feel, or believe.