What, God kept Vigil? - April 15

Today’s Readings:AM Psalm 97, 99; PM Psalm 115; Exod. 12:40–51; 1 Cor. 15:(29)30–41; Matt. 28:1–16

In the Old Testament reading for today, the Israelites are finally able to leave Egypt. The book of Exodus tells us they were there for four hundred and thirty years. That is a long time to be away from home. I don’t think I have noticed this before but the night that the Israelites are delivered, the author of Exodus refers to this as a night of vigil held by God. God was holding vigil! And therefore, the instructions for the Israelites are to keep vigil on that same night throughout their generations. They are to act in the same way as the Lord. The Lord’s vigil leads to the people’s deliverance (better known as the ability to thrive and grow and be free). This newfound freedom and life only requires the Israelites to remember that moment by doing what the Lord has done.

We are in the season of Easter, where we claim hope and resurrection and life. We sing Alleluia! I think people have this idea that the season is supposed to be filled with bright pastel colors and joyful songs and overflowing happiness and bliss. My wardrobe certainly follows this general rule. And we are told that the Israelites are required each year to hold vigil, to remember their pain and suffering in Egypt and the journey that God has led them on. If you have participated in a Jewish Passover Seder meal, you might recall bitter herbs being eaten to remember the challenges and bitterness of the time in Egypt.

We are in the Easter Season where God has promised hope and life. And yet we are still in our homes, frustrated with the reality of our earthly existence and the limitations and restraints on how we exist with each other during the COVID-19 pandemic. If we are exceptionally mindful of what God has done in our lives, it is almost as if we are keeping vigil. I don’t want to suggest that what God requires in Exodus is exactly the same thing, but I do think there is something hopeful about embracing the trials and tribulations we have experienced, of being mindful and aware of where we have come from so that we might continue to grow from it.

Our mortal lives are filled with pain and suffering, disappointments and failures. And it is easy to fall into the trap that to gain joy, peace, or life, we have to leave our past behind. But God asks us to remember over and over what we have done, and what God has done. Maybe it is the key to finding life, hope, and resurrection. Instead, we rise up like a plant that is germinated in the soil of our pain and past experiences. It is in those experiences and how we grow from them that we find life and hope.

- John+

Questions for Reflection

  • What are some of your past mistakes or trials that have shaped you in a positive way to be the person you are today? Have you named those mistakes before?

Daily Challenge

  • Find a time to pray today, and when you pray, give thanks to God for the mistakes you have made. Try naming the mistakes out loud and think of the ones that have had some cost to you as well.

John Burruss