perhaps better than ever before, we journey with through this can understand the reality of Jesus’ week. As followers of Jesus, we Reflection death. On Friday he died, gasping for have come to this most disturbing breath, and with his heart giving out. point when the brutal reality of By Saturday he lay cold in Jesus’ death confronts us in the the tomb. undeniable reality of the cold dead for Holy body before us. We are now part of Alan Lewis asks us to reflect on what the drama: we do not stand it means to journey with Jesus outside it, or above it. The great through , , and wonderful resolution of the Saturday and then Sunday. He puts a resurrection is yet to happen – we challenging question to those of us have yet to see that ‘epic’ ‘ W E H A V E B E E N who already know the outcome: perspective. Holy Saturday B U R I E D W I T H H I M B Y disciplines us to stay in the story as B A P T I S M I N T O D E A T H ’ Does the resurrection outcome of participants. Staying with Jesus this story of the cross and grace puts us alongside many of our ( R O M 6 : 4 ) actually negate what the crucifixion fellow citizens who are mourning and burial originally meant? Are we their loved ones. We mourn with By Bishop Tim Dakin excused from hearing and telling those who mourn. We bring before the story now as it sounded first, God our deepest fears and lost Image: The Body of the Dead Christ in before the ending was known? May hopes. We long for new life and the Tomb by Holbein the Younger we silence and forget, no longer for pray that, even in our weakness, we (painted between 1520-22) ourselves and others to identify might also offer loving kindness to with, the narrative of Good Friday as others. We’ve all now experienced daily a day of defeat and despair, and of headlines telling us of the increasing Easter Saturday as one of abject A Prayer for Holy Saturday (by Alan number of people who have died of misery and forlorn memories? The Lewis quoted in Pete Greig’s God coronavirus. We’re not used to hearing decisive criterion for every on Mute, David Cook, 2007, 281): about our fellow citizens dying in this evangelical declaration, for every way in such large numbers – it is both liturgical enactment, for every Hear our prayer for a world still shocking and numbing. The numbers theological interpretation of the living an Easter Saturday have been especially high this week. cross and resurrection is this: Does existence, oppressed and The personal stories behind the the resurrection free us from headlines bring home the grief, the thinking of the cross as it was before lonely, guilty of godlessness cost and the pain of this pandemic. the resurrection? To answer No is to and convinced of say that this is a story which must godforsakenness. Be still Thousands were crucified in 1st Century be told and heard, believed and tomorrow the God you are Palestine. The Romans had perfected this interpreted, two different ways at today, and yesterday already tortuous death as a way of controlling, once – as a story whose ending is were: God with us in the grave, through fear, the peoples they known, and as one whose ending is but pulling thus the sting of conquered. It seems that Pilate provoked discovered only as it happens. The religious riots and responded brutally. truth is victim when either reading death and promising in your Many Jews seemed willing to die for their is allowed to drown out the other; final kingdom an even great faith – even by crucifixion. The crowds the truth emerges only when both victory of abundant grace and who shouted for the death readings are audible, the separate life over the magnitude of sin of Jesus were obviously familiar with sound in each ear creating, as it and death. And for your Pilate’s way of responding. were, a stereophonic unity. (Alan blessed burial, into which we

Lewis: Between Cross and were baptized, may you be The reality of death in Judea, and in Resurrection: A Theology of Holy glorified for evermore. Amen. Jerusalem itself, would therefore be Saturday Eerdmans, 2001, 32-33; something that many would have italics original.) experienced in a way that touched them personally. They were more familiar with Alan Lewis is inviting us to take a death than we are. This year, however, participant’s perspective on the