Holy Saturday
Deep in Between, 12x36 acrylic on birch
“God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” (Genesis 2:3)
Jesus was pronounced dead on Friday. Saturday was the sabbath. Sunday would be the first day of a new week.
The sequence of events required the followers of Jesus to stop everything and give themselves to sabbath rest while living their first full day of his absence.
Sunday was still an unknown. All they had on Saturday was emptiness, and a traditional practice of rest.
Without the distraction of activity, there was no handy way to avoid feeling their bewilderment.
What to do when your locus of meaning is gone? Stop. Let it be.
What? Crisis calls for immediate action! Do something! Fight, escape, shop, eat… something! Maybe not.
“Why work for something that doesn’t really satisfy you?” (Isaiah 55:2b)
Holy Saturday argues for non-agitation in the presence of divine silence — for quietude even in the absence of peace.
Hold yourself open in the pending moment, receptive without anxiousness. Have faith. Newness will find you.