The Silence Between Horror and Hope

Today is the day between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. I received the following from a friend today and had to share. She wishes to remain anonymous.

Between the Horror and the Hope, There is Silence

How do you handle silence? Do you like it or do you despise it? Is it comforting or something that must be filled with anything? Its Saturday. And it is silent. 

Yesterday was almost too much to bear. The One who taught us, did miraculous things around us, demonstrated power like we had never seen before us, is dead. Dead. Never, ever did he do anything wrong. There was no sin in Him. None. Sure, He exposed those who were religious and those who sought to gain money from us and power over us. He even exposed the sin within us…but it was for our good. It sparked emotion like we had never seen. People loved Him or hated Him. Those who hated Him…wow! They tried to trap Him, twist His words, expose Him as a fraud…but they could not. They said horrible things about Him to try to disgrace Him among the others…but they could not. Never have we seen such hatred toward someone. Those who loved Him were devoted to Him. They clung to Him, wanted to be near Him, wanted to hear everything He had to say, watch everything He would do. Messiah. The One who has come. It is Friday. The people who hated are now cheering. He is defeated. His ministry is dismantled. He is dead. Those who loved Him are stunned. They are scared. He is dead. There is silence. 

What do we do in the silence? Our hearts race. We relive the moments. Oh the horror. It was brutal. It was dark. It was awful. We feel sick. The pain, the loss, what happened on that cross? We want to run. We want to hide. We want to forget…but who could? We want to find comfort in the embrace of others, in the chatter, in the noise. But there is silence. It is deafening.

We either fill the silence or we embrace it. Even when we try to fill it our strength fades. Sleep comes. And there is silence. Either way it comes. Noise. Noise. Noise. I don’t want to hear that “still small voice.” I’m angry. I’m scared. I’m tired. “I KNOW.” What? “I KNOW.” “I SAID IT WOULD HAPPEN BUT YOU DIDN’T UNDERSTAND. REMEMBER?” Yes. You said, “In three days, You will rise.” My heart starts to beat and the memories flood back. The horror begins to fade. Is that hope I feel? But You are dead. How can it be?

Then Sunday came. The tomb was empty. The Lord was raised. The sacrifice had been made. The debt had been paid. He is alive! He is alive! The sound of hope could be heard. The silence was gone. There was praise all around. It all makes sense. The prophesy was fulfilled. The matter of justice had been settled. The great exchange was made. My sin for His perfect righteousness.

Hope springs anew. Hope. My sin debt was paid. There is purpose in my life. I can trust the risen Savior…in everything, for everything, in spite of everything. There is hope because of the horror. There is hope in the horror. If I am quiet I find Hope in the silence. 

Everyone is facing something. Everyone. And we all will do one of two things after the horror. We will make a lot of noise or we will embrace the silence and listen for Hope. For the unbeliever it’s a matter of understanding your personal sin. Yes, it is there. The horror of the cross is because of your sin. The horrific death of Jesus was because of your sin. The great exchange? Jesus took your sin upon Himself. His perfect, sinless self. He became the sacrifice who died in your place. How do we know God accepted this sacrifice for your sin? Because on the third day He rose. His resurrection is proof that God accepted His sacrifice. If you believe this, your debt has been paid. What do you get in the exchange? You get Jesus’ righteousness. His perfect righteousness.

For the believer the Holy Spirit has come to live in you. He will guide and direct you. No matter what happens or what you go through, He is there to direct your steps. The silence becomes a comfort because in the silence He speaks, He directs, He encourages. How do you handle the silence after the horror? Be quiet. Listen. Hang on. Hope was just a day away. And oh, the difference a day can make.