The Vigil

After we did the Maundy Thursday service, mom and I went and had dinner. We had committed to a prayer shift at church from 12:00 midnight to 1 a.m. The church hired security and at least 2 members of the congregation at a time spent the whole night praying for Jesus. The lights were off except for one that lit the altar. After praying, I took out my Oxford annotated bible and read each Gospel’s account of the Passion and then a couple of Psalms. Barkley was in a pew ahead of us for about a half an hour.

The time went so much faster than I expected and it immersed me in the spirit of the holiday.
It’s very moving to imagine what Christ did. The idea that he would willingly lay down his life to create a new covenant is courageous and faithful. Even if was only a prophet, how much more amazing is it that his complete faith in God inspired so many. That’s not the lesson of the Passion, but I can’t help but imagine knowing him, or putting myself in his place. Based on my own experience of the intermittent nature of revelation, despite your conviction, there is plenty of time for doubt to build. The praying in the garden illustrates that for me. That up until the end he wasn’t positive that this was what he was supposed to do.

I’ve often felt that way. I only hope I can in some small way live up to the example set by Jesus.