Everyone makes a big deal about Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Easter, of course, steals the show. No one pays much attention to Saturday, though. We kind of bypass it to get to Sunday morning. But there was no skipping Saturday all those year ago; no avoiding the devastation those who followed Jesus felt. Jesus died at noon on Friday and the empty tomb wasn't discovered until 9ish on Sunday morning. By my count, that's 45 hours of pain and hurt and guilt and and grief that they had no choice but to face.
I like observing Holy Saturday, for this very reason. There are many times when we wish we could fast-forward through all our difficulties and get to the good part. But life doesn't work like our mp3 players or DVRs. There needs to be a place in our Holy Week observance for this sacred time.
The problem is there really isn't a scriptural account of that Saturday - no chronicling of the disciple's despair. Only silence. Maybe there were no words for what they were going through. That doesn't mean it wasn't there, of course. It was. We need to create space for it as well.
For that reason, I'm thankful for a Facebook friend who suggested Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" as a sort of anthem for Holy Saturday. Give it a listen HERE and see what you think.
Whatever you do, don't skip this day in your eagerness to get to all that Easter has in store for us. Sunday will come in its own time. But today is an important day too. Live in it.
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