But What About Saturday?

Between the Cross and the empty tomb lies a silent
Saturday, the "day with no name."

Many of us are anticipating two central days on the Christian calendar, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Both represent pivotal events; in the absence of either there would be no Christianity, and we’d not designate our years according to B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini).

We know that the curiously named “Good Friday” marks the day of Jesus’ crucifixion, “good” because His death served as the atoning sacrifice to cover the sins of mankind. And Easter celebrates His resurrection, signifying Christ’s triumph over death and the demonstration that He was who He claimed to be – the Son of God – not just another dead prophet or religious leader.

But what about the day between Good Friday and Easter? It was Saturday, a day virtually ignored by Christian tradition that author Philip Yancey in his book, Grace Notes, calls “the day with no name.” For many of us, it’s merely a business-as-usual day, useful for household chores, working in the yard, or some form of recreation. Nothing more.

Typically we dismiss it from having any spiritual import. In fact, S.M. Lockridge presented a classic sermon called, “It’s Friday…But Sunday’s Comin'.” Author Tony Campolo drew from a similar message to write a book by the same name. Lockridge eloquently described the devastation of Friday and contrasted it with the delirious news of Sunday’s empty tomb and Christ’s return from the dead. But there is no mention of Saturday.

Consider, however, what that silent Saturday must have been like for Jesus’ followers. It would have been a day of despair, disillusionment and confusion. The wondrous, inspirational, often mysterious leader they’d followed for three years was dead, taking their hopes and aspirations with Him. How had it come to this? What would they do now?

The Bible says little about the in-between day, but as Yancey observes, much of human existence today is like that Saturday. “Human history grinds on,” he writes, “between the time of promise and fulfillment. It’s Saturday on planet Earth; will Sunday ever come?”

This questions nags at many of us. Even as we’re preparing to pause for a marvelous day of rejoicing – “Christ is risen – He is risen indeed!” – we find ourselves immersed in a world of pain and suffering. Disease, poverty, violence, natural disasters, hatred and strife, everyday realities that remain with us on Saturday, and the days after Easter.

Despite this, we can cope, because we have hope – earnest expectation, confident assurance – that the often dismal present will one day be replaced by a future that exceeds comprehension. As the apostle Paul wrote, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us…. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently” (Romans 8:18-25).

So as we prepare to ponder the somber message of Good Friday, soon followed by the glorious report of Easter, let’s all take heart as we stumble through the challenges of Saturday, “the day with no name.” We do so while “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” (Titus 2:13).

Finding Real Hope in a ‘Hope-So’ World

I’ve always enjoyed music, although I only sing so-low (that people can’t hear me), and the only instruments I’ve ever played were the drums, in high school and college. (I still play the steering wheel if  something with a good beat comes on while I’m driving, but Idon’t think that counts.)

Anyway, words of familiar songs often come to mind, even simple ones that carry a good message. One that’s been running through my mind of late is “High Hopes,” a tune from the 1959 film, “A Hole in the Head,” that starred Frank Sinatra. It tells about a “little old ant” trying to move a rubber tree plant and a “silly old ram” trying to punch a hole in a dam. Despite daunting tasks, the song says, they had “high hopes.”

Some people suggest another song, “What the World Needs Now is Love,” the tune by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, but given the chaotic, confused times in which we live, I wonder if what we need even more is “High Hopes.”

A couple of weeks into the new year, we’re still covered with the barrage of negativity. If not for bad news, it seems, there’d be no news at all. I hear dozens of folks in a New England town have already collapsed into a heap of hopeless despair. Things are so bad, in the next rendition of Disney’s “Snow White,” the seven dwarfs will probably sing, “I hope, I hope….”

Unfortunately, high hopes don’t usually supply real reasons for being hopeful. Hope in this life is as reliable as tomorrow’s weather report. The best it can provide is “hope-so”: “Will the United States ever truly be ‘united’ again? Hope so.” “Can life become less stressful? Hope so.” “Are there any real prospects for peace in this world? Hope so.” “Can anyone actually find true love on ‘The Bachelor’? Hope so.”

This desire for hope is often more pragmatic than philosophical. Imagine living in poverty, whether in the inner city or a place like Appalachia, with no prospects of change. How about feeling trapped in a loveless marriage, convinced the old spark will never rekindle. Or lying in a bed, ravaged by a terminal disease, anticipating a future that might not extend beyond tomorrow morning. In such circumstances, even a tiny ray of hope could provide palpable reason to persevere.

But where can we find hope? They don’t stock it on department store shelves or at mall kiosks. Amazon sells lots of things, but not hope. History’s demonstrated we can’t find lasting hope in politics, regardless of our ideology. Science helps us understand “what” and “how,” but has little to say about “why.” Materialism’s many promises tend to be short-lived and empty. Entertainment distracts us momentarily, but can’t release us from uncomfortable realities. Even religion, with its rites, rules and rituals, too often leaves us feeling perplexed and uninspired.

Does this mean there’s no hope for finding real hope?

There is one source, and it’s been available for thousands of years, although many people have chosen to ignore it. To paraphrase yet another song of days gone by, they’re looking for hope in all the wrong places.

Whenever I feel deficient in hope, I turn to the Bible. It shows God fully understands the human need for hope. Proverbs 13:12 observes, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” Feelings of hopelessness can debilitate us physically, emotionally and spiritually, but hopes fulfilled reinvigorate. Proverbs 13:19 notes, “A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul….”

To satisfy our yearning for hope, the Scriptures point us to a daily, growing relationship with God. The Old Testament’s book of Lamentations assures, "The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord" (Lamentations 3:25). This isn’t “hope-so”; it’s unwavering certainty.

Another meaningful verse was penned by the apostle Paul, addressing followers of Jesus Christ in Rome: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13). Drawing from his own experience, he told the growing throng of believers in that sprawling city that true hope anchors in everyday faith in the Lord.

Faith – and hope – must be tried and proven. When we place our trust in something, even Jesus, time and perspective reveal whether we were banking on “hope so,” or genuine hope we can cling to with confident assurance.

The ultimate test is the day when life inevitably draws to a close and we must confront the reality of what comes next. Paul referred to this when he wrote to believers in the church of ancient Philippi, “according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death” (Philippians 1:20).

I “hope” that as we continue our march into this new year, you won’t be settling for hope-so when you can experience the “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13) of Jesus Christ alone.

Looking Forward to . . . What?

Christmas with all its preparations and celebrations is over, leaving us immersed in the lull before the New Year. Some of us will spend this time looking back, evaluating what the past year was like – good, bad, what we didn’t get around to doing as we intended, what we started but haven’t yet completed.

Others among us, however, don’t care much for a rear-view mirror approach to life. We’re eager, excited about the prospect of the old calendar year ushering in a new one – whether to bid a fond farewell to this year and build on the positives into the next, or to thumb our noses at the passing year, shout, “Good riddance!” and hope for better things in the future.

Either way, like it or not, ready or not, in just a few days 2017 will appear, so it makes sense to start looking forward. We already know where we’ve been; what we don’t know is where we will be going. As you contemplate the New Year’s inception, what are you looking forward to? (Or, to what do you look forward, for grammar police out there who maintain we must never end sentences by using prepositions!)

If we’ve worked hard during the past year, we might be looking forward to a promotion in our quest to climb the proverbial corporate ladder. Or maybe we’re thinking the hard work will pay off with the opportunity to move to a better, more rewarding job somewhere else. Perhaps a special event is looming in the future – a wedding, the birth of a child, sending one of your offspring to college, seeing one graduate, or even saying good-bye to the workplace and retiring.

For some of us it’s not a singular event we’re looking forward to – we just want to make progress of some kind. It could be in your marriage, at work, or making positive personal changes by losing some weight, exercising more consistently, pursuing more education, or taking up a new hobby.

There’s lots we could look forward to, but let me ask this: What things are you look forward to in a spiritual sense?

The apostle Paul offers a wonderful example. He declared, “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

Obviously, Paul wasn’t talking about making New Year’s resolutions. He wasn’t about to burst out with a stanza of “Auld Lang Syne.” The apostle was simply affirming his singular focus, always looking forward to the work and ministry his Lord had entrusted to him, striving to reach as many lives as possible for Jesus Christ.

Elsewhere Paul revealed his motivation, the incentive that kept him in faithful service to his Savior despite numerous trials and much hardship: “While we wait for the blessed hope – the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). He was absolutely convinced of the imminent return of Christ, keeping that expectation in the forefront of his thinking and planning. The fact Jesus’ Second Coming did not occur during Paul’s earthly lifetime doesn’t detract from his zeal in serving Him and striving to introduce others to Him along the way.

The writer of the New Testament book of Hebrews shared Paul’s “tunnel vision” for fulfilling the call of Christ. “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:23-24). These words, written nearly 2,000 years ago, suggest the image of a driver at the wheel of a car – or the helm of a ship – staying on course regardless of the circumstances.

It’s not wrong to look forward to making incremental improvements in life, taking a much-anticipated trip, realizing a career goal, or attaining some other personal milestone. But as the Scriptures teach over and over, being followers of Jesus we should be looking forward to being His “instruments of righteousness” (Romans 6:13), having an eternal impact in the hearts and lives of others, and anticipating His ultimate return – whether that’s tomorrow or 100 years from now. Happy New Year!

Would You Want to Live to Be 120?

If you could, would you choose living to 120 to delay walking into the sunset?

A headline in the morning newspaper caught my eye (yes, vintage newspaper editor that I am, I still read bonafide, hold-in-your-hands newspapers). It read, “Would you want to live to be 120?”

This was the third time recently I’d read about scientists predicting that by year 2050, average Americans will live to 120. Wow! Today, we still recognize people that live to be 100. Imagine in another 40 years or so, when 100 would be “middle-aged”!

According to this particular piece, one person to date has lived to be 122, a woman who died in 1997. I once knew someone claiming to be 122, but he really was only 61. His life had been such a struggle, it just seemed like he’d lived twice as long.

The article predicted greatly increased human longevity could be achieved through “radical life extension,” a combination of science, technology and theory of living, to push the limits of the human lifespan. Sound good to you?

Right now, this question – would you want to live to be 120? – seems the stuff of fantasy for most of us, but it’s still valid to consider. If you could, would you want to live that long?

Before giving my own answer (should you even care), let’s consider a few things. For instance, if the point of living is to postpone death as long as possible, then many people probably would say yes. As someone has said, “No one gets out of this life alive,” so if you can delay the inevitable, why not, right?

Then again, we’d have to assume that current maladies like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, severe arthritis, diabetes and other diseases that wither body, mind and spirit would have to be overcome. Spending 40 or more years in a care facility with less than full mental faculties and being totally dependent on someone else for routine tasks like eating and changing clothes doesn’t sound like a lot of fun.

Now that I’ve arrived at Medicare age, I already have joints that are prone to get sore, and aches and pains I didn’t experience even 10 years ago. How would I feel 50 or 60 years from now? Would I have to become a bionic man, with every part replaced or refurbished just to get through a normal day?

At present, still being of sound mind (some might disagree!) and feeling like I’m still making a positive contribution to society (some people that have read this blog might really disagree!), life’s good. But 10, 20 or more years from now – who knows?

If people lived longer, their working lives might be extended as well – perhaps to age 80 or 90. Today’s ideal of retiring at 65 would become obsolete. That certainly could ease the Social Security crisis. But how would it affect things like life insurance policies and premiums, or senior citizen discounts?

A study conducted by the Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project determined nearly 70 percent of adults questioned would like to reach ages between 79 and 100. Almost all of them, I’ve heard, agreed with Woody Allen, who once said, “I’m not afraid of dying. I just don’t want to be there when it happens.”

But once again: Would you want to live to be 120? My answer? No. Definitely not.

Pondering our last days on earth 
need not be approached with fear.

Not only because I wouldn’t want to exist as an addled, helpless senior-senior citizen. Even if I could enjoy reasonably good health and a clear mind, I wouldn’t want to live that long. Why? Because I’m convinced this life is not the destination – it’s only a brief sojourn, kind of preparation for the main event.

That’s not to say I’m planning to depart soon, but if that were to be the case, I believe I’d be ready. I faced that possibility seven years ago before my open-heart surgery. By the day of my operation, I felt ready to stay or go – whichever God decided.

Pondering this reminds me of Titus 2:13, which states, “while we wait for the blessed hope – the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” This “blessed hope” – what’s that all about? I’m looking forward to finding out.

And 1 Corinthians 2:9 declares, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived, what God has prepared for those that love him.” Why doesn’t this passage give more specifics on what we can expect? I think it’s because the finite, time-oriented human mind can’t begin to comprehend the infinite and eternal. Just because we can’t understand it, that doesn’t mean it’s not there.

So even if given the opportunity, I really wouldn’t choose to live to be 120. If the life to come is as great as advertised, I don’t want to wait another 55 years to check it out!