The Dark Side of Sunday

It is Friday night. I just returned from attending an Easter cantata at a local church that begins in the fall each year preparing for a deeply impactful ministry to our community.

Through song and story, we walked through the life and ministry of Jesus’ here on earth. We remembered His birth, re-lived His miracles and life-changing teaching, reflected on His suffering, and rejoiced in His resurrection. Hope, amazement, anguish, sorrow, joy. All these emotions and more poured into a two-hour recounting of the greatest story ever told.

Image found here

As the story unfolded, several songs bridged the gap between the sorrow of the cross and the victory of the empty tomb. Here on the bright side of Sunday morning, we can see how the story of the cross turns out. We know that weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5b) We know that their sorrow and loss did not last forever. We know that hope and joy was just around the corner.

Not so for Jesus’ disciples. That night over two thousand years ago, Jesus’ followers grieved on the dark side of Sunday.

Jesus had told them what was going to happen to Him. He had told them that he would suffer and die. He had explained to them that this was necessary. He had even let them know that He would come back. In spite of all this, His closest followers seemed to not really understand.

Perhaps they didn’t even begin to grasp the significance of Jesus’ mission. Perhaps they still thought that Jesus would one day fulfill the hope of Israel by becoming a king who would lead them to freedom from the tyranny of Rome. If that is what they were hoping for on that dark side of Sunday, they would not have realized that Jesus had taken onto Himself the brokenness and bondage of the world, so He could set His creation free from the tyranny of sin and death.

Maybe some understood that their Master and Friend had come purposefully to suffer and die so He could bring His people back to Himself. Perhaps they believed that He would rise again. Yet on the dark side of Sunday, they felt keenly a sense of deep grief and profound loss. We can understand that grief. It is the grief that mourns the passing of a loved one, even though we have hope that we will see them again someday in heaven. We know that death is not the end, yet we mourn the loved one’s loss in the here and now. Even those who have hope still mourn on the dark side of Sunday.

Then there were those, like Peter, who had denied that he even knew the One who was his dearest friend. He had left Jesus alone in His darkest hour. The fact that Jesus knew all along that he would do so was no comfort. On the dark side of Sunday, Peter carried the crushing weight of failure and regret.

Image found here

All those gathered together behind locked doors hid in fear of the Jews. Their Master and dearest Friend had just suffered the most brutal execution. For all they knew, they might be next. Numbed by the very thought of His suffering, perhaps they sat in silence. Terror lurked in the shadows on the dark side of Sunday. Fear stalked them in the night.

The dark side of Sunday is not a place anyone wants to stay. Thankfully, we don’t need to remain there. Yet on Good Friday, it might be beneficial to linger for a time in that place of sorrow. Perhaps we should allow ourselves to truly feel the weight of the sin and shame that Jesus took on Himself so we could be free of it. Give God time to impress upon us the extent of Jesus’ love—a love that led Him to lay down His life for you and me.

Jesus reaches out to each of us in the midst of grief and sorrow and loss. Let’s meet Him in a special way right here, right now—on the dark side of Sunday.

Balinese New Year Monsters

Just to give you an idea of the size....

Gigantic monsters have appeared around the island of Bali. These monsters, called ogoh-ogoh, have been constructed by the men of each community as part of the celebration of Nyepi, the Balinese New Year, which begins tomorrow. Rachel and I took a drive around our town and captured a few pictures to share with you. 

These enormous figures are indeed ugly. At the same time, some of them are fascinating from the standpoint of the complexity of their construction.

Probably the most intricately-constructed ogoh-ogoh
I have seen in my area today.

Take this trio, for instance. I don't know the story behind this particular ogoh-ogoh, but if you look closely, you will see that the "bird", called a garuda, is attached to the monster by just a small area where the garuda touches the monster's fist. I didn't notice this until I examined the picture, but the monster itself isn't standing on anything. It is attached to the woman merely by a hand gripping her shoulder. The rest of his considerably-sized body is flying through the air. The woman herself is attached to the platform by a fairly small area of her skirt. She also has the appearance of flying through the air. 

Later tonight, accompanied by the gongs and bells of the gamelan orchestra, this ogoh-ogoh, along with hundreds of others around the island, will be paraded through the streets on the shoulders of dozens of young men. The young men will shake and bounce the ogoh-ogoh, and make lots of noise. All those accompanying the parade will also make noise. FIrecrackers and other noisemakers will be used. Whole families will line the streets watching the parade, enjoying a festive atmosphere. 

Three of seven ogoh-ogoh waiting for the parade later tonight.

In the homes of Balinese Hindus, at some point, the women will light bundles of leaves and grasses and use them to "sweep" the evil spirits out of their home and into the streets. There the noise and the monsters are supposed to scare them away from the island. 

For the less devout Balinese Hindus, I suppose this festival has about the same significance as Halloween does to many Americans. It is just part of tradition and culture. The young men work hard to make an impressive ogoh-ogoh for their community because prizes are given for the best one.

Some ogoh-ogoh take on a more modern flavor.

For the devout Balinese Hindus, the ogoh-ogoh parade, and the accompanying noise and frenzy, has the important function of helping to restore balance to this island by driving out the evil spirits.

Tomorrow, all throughout the island of Bali, everyone has to stay indoors and keep quiet. No stores are open. No cars or motorbikes will be on the street. The airport will be closed, so the skies above the island will be empty. Traditionally, on the day of quiet, no one is allowed to use electricity or other types of light. Technically, cooking over an open fire is not permitted. Voices must be kept quiet. 

These restrictions apply to everyone present on the island, whether Hindu or not. Even tourists who have not planned their holiday to be away from Bali at this time must stay inside the grounds of their hotel. Usually, the major hotels will have been given special permission to conduct activities on the hotel grounds for their guests.

Over the twenty years I have lived in Bali, I have seen some communities become much less strict about the quiet day. Even so, the level of noise and activity screeches to a virtual halt.

So what are the Balinese supposed to do during the quiet day? What is its significance? I have heard several explanations. 

I'm not sure of the story
behind this four-headed guy.

One explanation is that after the evil spirits have been driven out of the island , everyone is to stay inside and remain quiet in order to fool the evil spirits into thinking the island is uninhabited. They would not be interested in an uninhabited island. Of course, they find their way back during the course of the year, and the process needs to be repeated yearly.

A second explanation is that people are supposed to use the quiet day to reflect on their lives, actions, and character during the past year. What needs to be changed and given new direction in the year ahead?

As a believer in Jesus, I have no need of gigantic monsters to scare away evil spirits in order to get a fresh start with a clean slate. However, taking some time during the quiet day to reflect on my life in the past year is not a bad thing. Purposefully looking into the year ahead as I follow Jesus into all He has for me would be a wonderful way to spend at least a part of the day of quiet that starts at midnight. 

For that matter...why wait for the enforced day of quiet that goes along with Nyepi? This kind of reflection is a good discipline all throughout the year.

Is there any time of year that you take to reflect on where your life has been and where it is going? Why not share in a comment below.