“Happy are you who hunger now, because you will be satisfied.” - Luke 6:21
“I’m hungry!” - Quote from Emily, not scripture
When this whole thing first started, I thought, “how fitting, that this time of physical distancing would occur during the season of Lent. Perhaps it will help the fasting become more real for us.” That should have been a warning for me. I almost wrote my first devotional about fasting and feasting. That the time of fasting in Lent should not be viewed as punitive or punishing, but rather as a time of preparing for the Easter feast. Like Jesus’ words from Luke, “happy are you who hunger now, because you will be satisfied.” The pain of hunger makes a full belly that much more appreciated. When viewed within the context of the Christian Calendar, this time of fasting in Lent is a time of preparation, a time that when viewed retroactively, makes the taste of Easter that much sweeter.
I’m not a “huggy” person. You know, one of those people who generally likes to give and receive hugs. But I find myself these days not only wishing to be in the presence of others, but actually wanting to embrace friends and loved ones. How sweet will those hugs feel after this time apart!
Perhaps that’s why I’m feeling the pain of Holy Week more acutely this week. I’m sitting with the text of Good Friday without being able to jump to the celebration of the resurrection, without an end to this distancing in sight. The time of fasting has been prolonged, and the feast of Easter is yet to arrive. Jesus has been crucified, our Hope, the Messiah, our Savior, is dead.
For Mary, Martha, and the disciples on that day, that IS where the story ended. And they grieved. They cried. They mourned.
Friends, we all know there is more to the story. Both Jesus’ story, and our story (oh wait, those are connected too aren’t they?). But today, it’s okay to rest in the grief. It’s okay to mourn the things that have changed. It’s okay to cry over what has been lost. It’s okay to sit in the sadness and not lift our eyes to the hope of the resurrection just yet. Jesus’s body lay dead three days. The resurrection isn’t the only gift of Holy Week. The gift of Good Friday is the gift of a God who not only is resurrected, but also who suffers with us. Let’s not forget what comes before the resurrection.
Holy God, hear our cry. Hear our sorrow. Hear our weeping. Our hope is lost. Our Lord is crucified. And we are wandering day by day with no end to the fasting in sight. Almighty God, do not leave us or forsake us. Cast your presence down among us. Make your love known to us and comfort us in our grief. Amen.
- Pastor Emily Carroll