Today is Holy Saturday of the Passion Week of Jesus Christ. Holy Saturday is the day after the crucifixion. After his death on the cross on Friday, Jesus' family lowered his body and quickly transported it to a borrowed tomb from Joseph of Arimathea. All of this had to happen in rapid fashion because of the fast-approaching hour of the Sabbath. No work could be done on the Sabbath and this included burials.
The body was placed in the tomb, a stone rolled in front of the entrance to seal and Roman guards were present to prevent anyone from stealing the body to further the "messiahship" ramblings of a young man from Nazareth. Sabbath descended and 24 hours of silence began.
The Sabbath held a sense of accomplishment for the Romans, Pharisees, Sadducees and nonbelievers. The longstanding institution, tradition and belief of the Jewish faith was being challenged from a young man born of a carpenter. People in panic often react through irrational words and behavior. Their reaction of sending someone to death by way of the cross was a display of their extreme and intense fear of coming change that was preached by this man.
The Sabbath for the "followers of the way" was a day of silence, wonder, bewilderment, concern, disappointment, reflection and just a "sinking feeling in the gut kinda day." Were they misinformed followers of an egocentric man from Nazareth? Did the cross derail Jesus' mission? What were they to do next, go back home and pick up past lives?
The Sabbath for the crucified Jesus is riddled with mystery. Nowhere in the Bible does it actually give an account of what happened with Jesus during this "silent" period. Some believe that during this time Jesus went into hell and preached to the souls imprisoned there. But I don't think there is a textual basis for that assumption. The normal assumption is that Jesus' fleshly body remained in the tomb, just as ours will remain in the grave. His spirit went to the Father just as ours will go.
The Sabbath of Passion Week for me is about silence. It was a day of silence and reflection for the followers of the way and so it continues to be for me. I think the day of silence was divinely designed by our Creator because He knew we needed it.
Silence is the perfect statement of faith. It is the perfect prayer. Silence allows the connection to God beyond what words can express. It is a special gift to us if we nurture, mature and make use of it. It is an act that allows our Creator to extend His divine arms, grab and embrace us. It is a journey whose path leads to perfect peace in Him.
I often find myself speaking when I should be silent. Often silent when I should be speaking. I pray that as I continue my daily walk towards Him, I will be more discerning between the two. So for today, I am silent.
May today not be my only day of silence during the next year because as God revealed centuries ago, the day after silence may literally be the day that changes the world and eternity.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Friday, March 1, 2013
The Sinister Act of Sequester
Today, our government officials, appointed and elected, should have grappled and found a solution to an event that will occur tonight at midnight due to their inability to act. The sequester that begins at midnight will not be felt immediately, but, over time will eat away at an already struggling nation. Within the next year, our citizens will see that these arbitrary budget cuts taking place because of the lack of leadership in Washington, DC. These cuts will not only hurt the economy, but will make life harder for the most vulnerable of society and threaten our national security.
I have lived in four states before coming to DC: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and South Carolina. If these sequestrations are played out to their fullest, the combined affects on these four states will be:
This sequester and the debt ceiling issues have occurred because we have allowed our elected and appointed officials to become so polarized that the forward movement of this country is virtually stagnant. We no longer employ our government officials to move our nation forward but to rest on their laurels and argue. This was not the design.
Our government and party system was designed to foster healthy conflict and vigorous debate in an effort to get the best ideas, ideals and visions on the table so that the brightest minds of our country could then collaborate and cooperatively move forward, knowing that no one party or group gets their way all of the time. I believe what we are encountering today is a new cultural phenomena.
No longer do we celebrate cooperative collaborations. We are a people who now enjoy conquer and divide. We love debate and we love stopping forward movement of the opposing "view" even better. The joy today is finding in keeping those we oppose from doing anything, even if its right. This is happening not only in politics but also business, international relations, faith relations, relations within our communities of faith and in our families. We have become more tech savvy, social media dependent and dysfunctional with interpersonal and face to face relationships.
Recently, I have been reminded by Henry Blackaby that leaders do what is right while politicians do what is popular. Unfortunately, we have a gap in leadership and a whole lot of politicians in every aspect of life. People actually know what is right and still do not act upon it and this saddens me.
I am afraid until folk, both inside and outside of the Church, understand the concept that Apostle Paul was trying to get across in I Corinthians 12, polarization will continue to rule the day.
Was a solution found today? No. Even if a solution was found there was not enough elected leaders in DC to pass the recommendation and avoid the sequester...shameful. What is more shameful is that procrastination is tolerated by the American people. That, my folks, is on you and me.
My advice? In the future elect and appointment leaders, not politicians! Elect women and men who have a record of successful collaboration, a trail of networking, healthy relationships of diversity, a history of being proactive and making timely decisions that enhance the whole and not a part. These folk exists...they are community leaders, faith leaders, business leaders, and entrepreneurs. Basically, I think the future is with leaders who are spread throughout this country and not presently serving in Washington, DC.
I have lived in four states before coming to DC: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and South Carolina. If these sequestrations are played out to their fullest, the combined affects on these four states will be:
- 870 teachers and aides jobs will be at risk
- 1,910 low income students will lose work study jobs they have to help pay for college
- 111,000 students will lose access to support programs and special educational resources in public schools
- 174,630 workers will loose access to job training
- 190 public schools will lose funds to help at-risk students
- 86,000 Civilian Department of Defense employees will be furloughed
- 2,000 victims of domestic violence will lose access to support services
- $3,666,000.00 will be cut to provide meals to sick and homebound senior adults
- 9,500 fewer children will get vaccinations
- $2,238,000.00 will be cut that provides response to threats of infectious diseases and natural disasters
This sequester and the debt ceiling issues have occurred because we have allowed our elected and appointed officials to become so polarized that the forward movement of this country is virtually stagnant. We no longer employ our government officials to move our nation forward but to rest on their laurels and argue. This was not the design.
Our government and party system was designed to foster healthy conflict and vigorous debate in an effort to get the best ideas, ideals and visions on the table so that the brightest minds of our country could then collaborate and cooperatively move forward, knowing that no one party or group gets their way all of the time. I believe what we are encountering today is a new cultural phenomena.
No longer do we celebrate cooperative collaborations. We are a people who now enjoy conquer and divide. We love debate and we love stopping forward movement of the opposing "view" even better. The joy today is finding in keeping those we oppose from doing anything, even if its right. This is happening not only in politics but also business, international relations, faith relations, relations within our communities of faith and in our families. We have become more tech savvy, social media dependent and dysfunctional with interpersonal and face to face relationships.
Recently, I have been reminded by Henry Blackaby that leaders do what is right while politicians do what is popular. Unfortunately, we have a gap in leadership and a whole lot of politicians in every aspect of life. People actually know what is right and still do not act upon it and this saddens me.
I am afraid until folk, both inside and outside of the Church, understand the concept that Apostle Paul was trying to get across in I Corinthians 12, polarization will continue to rule the day.
Was a solution found today? No. Even if a solution was found there was not enough elected leaders in DC to pass the recommendation and avoid the sequester...shameful. What is more shameful is that procrastination is tolerated by the American people. That, my folks, is on you and me.
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