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As Christians, we stand during Holy Week, considered by many to be the most sacred week in the Christian calendar. In some ways, one could view it as a week sandwiched between two Sundays of celebration: Palm Sunday and then, of course, Easter Sunday. We remember the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem, followed by the darkness of Good Friday. Holy Week ends with the darkness descending on Saturday evening, reminding us of Christ's body lying in the darkness of the tomb, awaiting the special Holy Day, Resurrection Sunday.
Probably all faith practices have special or holy days, but for the Christian, these upcoming Holy Days are certainly the most significant and symbolic. Rabbi Ismar Schorsch, a noted scholar and author, speaks about our Holy time as well as his. He notes that "the frequent overlapping of Easter and Passover–of the Christian Holy Week with our eight day celebration of Passover--merits attention. Unlike the yoking of Christmas and Hanukkah, Easter and Passover are festivals of equal gravity. Side by side they bring to light the deep structures of both religions…In both festivals nature and history converge with a resounding message of hope" (myjewishlearning.com). Hope is indeed the message of Easter, but as Christians, we must travel through Holy Week to get there.
Without the events we will be remembering in the days ahead, without the resurrection, there could be no Christian faith. It would have been a faith which would have died with the burial of Jesus the Nazarene, leaving his followers hopeless.
As we remember and reflect on Christ's final week through our special services, I believe it could be argued that our lives are like the disciples' lives that week. We have our high points in life when we are happy, excited, and contented. We also have days, sometimes too many of them, when we are sad, depressed, or despondent. Even as followers of Christ, we know circumstances have a tremendous impact on us. It is the hope that we carry inside that allows us to navigate those troubling days in life's journey.
Life is that journey all must take to get to heaven. Perhaps in a way life is sandwiched between two significant events: birth and death. In between birth and death is a roller coaster of events producing a roller coaster of emotions. We are shaken and bounced and thrown around, and then after a brief moment of straight rails, we hit yet another turn. Yet, before we know it, the ride is over.
I, like you who are reading, at times have been shaken and bounced. I at times struggle. However, I know that all too soon this ride called life will come to a stop. It is because of Holy Week and the hope Christ provides to anyone who asks that we are able to navigate life's bounces and twists. There will come life's final stop, and that final stop need not be frightening because the Lord is there to welcome us to the place where according to Revelation, "There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain..." (Revelation 21:4 NIV). Until then, enjoy the high points. Allow Christ to guide and comfort you during the low points, trusting in the hope that only Jesus the Nazarene can provide.
Rev. Max Furman, Antes Fort-Oriole United Methodist Charge