Have you ever wondered what the reason was for Holy Saturday? Why the uncomfortable delay from the crucifixion until the time Jesus rose again on Sunday morning? Hope was in short supply during this time of being caught in between. On this desolate day, those who loved Jesus hid behind locked doors in fear and despair, worried about their futures in the eerie quiet. The story was incomplete, and they were left with little to do but wait. Most had either forgotten God’s promise or no longer believed it. But even though they couldn’t see what was happening, He was working in between the tragedy and the miracle to bring about His plan for victory.
Stepping In
In this time of global crisis, the initial adrenaline has faded for many of us and the days seem to run together. We can’t see the end because we don’t know what it looks like, and so we are left in the middle. Locked in our homes in fear and despair, worried about our futures, unsettled by the quiet streets around us. Not much to do but wait.
But wait. Maybe there is more. Maybe God wants to involve us in His story, the way he sent the two disciples to find a young donkey in Mark 11. When Jesus rode into town on an untamed colt, he was fulfilling prophecy and God’s plan. As we hear from churches and Christian leaders around the world, we hear stories of churches stepping into the plans that God has called them to by helping those caught in between.
Caught in the Middle
The separation between the haves and have nots in our cities is growing, but at the same time, government officials are opening doors for the church to serve. And serving is exactly what they are doing. Sunday school children in the South Pacific are writing letters of hope and delivering them into mailboxes. Women are reaching out to domestic violence shelters, asking how they can help. A church in Melbourne is hosting online meetings with prostitutes who have lost their jobs – wondering how to keep adding support into their lives. In India, believers are rising up to meet the needs of people in between – the homeless and those living in slums, and millions of migrant workers who are caught in the middle.
Though we don’t know when we will win the battle against this virus, we can be confident in the victory that Jesus already secured for us on the cross. As we wait in the quiet emptiness in between these days of tragedies and miracles, we can pray and serve, becoming part of the story. Let us know what your churches are doing to step in and help those who are caught in between.
