The Emotions of Holy Week

I easily forget the reality of holding different emotions at the same time. One can be happy while at the same time endure great sadness. We might experience great hope while at the same time deep betrayal. In times of deep grief, we can also have memories of great joy. 

I am so excited to get my second dose of the vaccine this week, but I also have fears as I see covid cases rising again across the country. I am surprisingly happy to see Ever Given free from being stuck inside the Suez Canal, yet have trepidation about the court case concerning former police officer Derek Chauvin. 

Sometimes, it feels as if I feel all the emotions at the same time. I have been thinking about this especially as this week is the Christian Holy Week; Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Resurrection Sunday. 

Taken as separate days, it’s an emotional rollercoaster. Jesus the Christ eats a meal with his closest friends and washes their feet. Hours later, he is betrayed by most of these closest friends and handed over to be beaten and arrested. On Good Friday, the hope that the Messiah had arrived is destroyed as Jesus is crucified. Holy Saturday is a day of grief, silence, and fear. Yet, Resurrection Sunday is a day of celebration, a reminder that life, love, and light triumph over death, darkness, and hate. 

So many emotions in such a few short days. 

For Jews who celebrate Passover this week, there is a similar wave of emotions. Celebrating the exodus of the ancient Israelites from slavery in Egypt, Passover is one of the most important Jewish festivals that lasts eight days. After years of oppression and distress, ten plagues to afflict the Egyptian oppressors, there comes a moment that changes the trajectory of their lives. The final plague ‘passed over’ the Israelites’ homes and eventually allowed Moses and hundreds of thousands of people to cross the Red Sea and find freedom. 

These spiritual holy days and celebrations remind me of the plethora of emotions we have probably all experienced in the last year. How many of us have been overly anxious, overwhelmed, or heavy with grief while at the same time enjoying the presence of our families, laughing at a show on Netflix, or overjoyed by the beauty of a sunset? 

I am reminded this week that all the emotions belong. One is not more important than the other. We need not get rid of one emotion in order to experience another. Every person is carrying a deep and secret burden. Every person is carrying a deep and secret joy. It’s another reason why it’s so important to be kind. 

This week, if you find yourself resonating with this, I do invite you to partake in some of our Holy Week events. Our office will be hosting a virtual Tenebrae Service on Maundy Thursday, an interactive Good Friday experience in Snidow Chapel, and an Easter morning service on Friendship Circle. If you are able, we invite you to join us.