ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
April 19, 2025
In Mark 6:31, we read: “Jesus said to the disciples, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.”
This invitation to his disciples came at a moment of death. The invitation came from Jesus, but was not in regard to his own death. It was the death of John the Baptist. In that time of crisis and grief, Jesus invited his disciples to slip away to a quiet place where they could find rest. Grief is exhausting, and though in the time immediately around a death, adrenaline can often keep a person moving, there is almost always a moment in which the grieving person just collapses. In such moments, the body and the spirit need us to slip away, not only as a break, but to seek true refreshment and healing. As we sit in the darkness of this day, reflecting on the death of Jesus, let us seek respite from the emotion of these past days, along with everything else burdening our lives. In this moment, God’s hope is entombed, but this gift promised to the world will invite us to rise tomorrow morning with new life and joy. In the meantime, get some needed rest!
Let my spirit find rest in you, O God, for you are gracious and kind. Amen.
