Year Two, Day 332: Dark Night of the Soul and Palm Sunday

Note:  Something weird is going on with the fonts for this blog. I apologize. Not sure if I can fix it! (Sometimes I think my computer is trying to kill me!)  Grrrr....So, you may have to get your magnifying glass out to read this one!

After my glorious, high energy day fueled by caffeine, Prednisone and Sudafed yesterday, I had a feeling I would crash today.

I did.

But it is also partially due to a "dark night of my soul"

I got this expression from the book Dark Night of the Soul, by John of the Cross:

"The poem of St. John of the Cross, OCD, in 8 stanzas of 5 lines each, narrates the journey of the soul to mystical union with God. The journey is called "The Dark Night" in part because darkness represents the fact that the destination, God, is unknowable...St. John writes in the first verse of the poem, which verse in its entirety is translated:^[1]

In an obscure night
Fevered with love's anxiety
(O hapless, happy plight!)
I went, none seeing me
Forth from my house, where all things quiet be" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Night_of_the_Soul

I have it downloaded on my Kindle, but have not read it in it's entirety. I think it is high time I did. Perhaps tonight.

 I attribute last night's dark night to a conversation I had with time with my family member in crisis.  He was having relationship issues.  I am worried about him. I have always worried about him.  He is always on the top of my prayer list.  I do not know if he knows this.  Last night he did not have time to sit and talk.  So I prayed for him last night. All night, since I could not sleep.  I finally got up and turned the light on and spilled my soul onto the pages of my prayer journal. Along with a few tears.

And in the quiet of the night, I felt a small voice tell me to let go.  I felt peace wash over me.  And finally I slept.

Thankfully I popped up in time to make it to church. Took my Prednisone and Sudafed. And I am feeling quite good actually.  The darkness is still there, but it has slid back into the depths.  I knew I needed to make it to church. To receive some soul food. To talk with my friends.

It was very good that I made it.

Today is Palm Sunday.  We spent time in church talking about the significance of this day in the early history of the Christian faith.

Apparently the word "palm" comes from the Greek word "phoinix" which refers to a palm tree, or palm branch, the color purple and the name given to the ancient Phoenicians, a legendary bird from the Assyrian culture, that "lived for 500 years and then consumed itself with fire, only to be reborn out of its own ashes.  The Phoenix also represented the sun in ancient Egyptian religion. It died at night and was reborn in the morning.  Interesting, then that palm branches became "a symbol of immortality and resurrection in early Christian tradition, is a symbol of victory, especially over death in resurrection." (From Pastor Glenney's "Resurrection Sunday" - aka "Easter" handout written April 11, 2009).

We studied several passages in the New Testament that depicted Jesus' triumphant into Jerusalem seated on the colt of a donkey. (John 12:13-15). This was actually predicted by the prophet Zecharian over 5 centuries before the birth of Jesus.

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your king coming unto you; he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon a donkey, even upon a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zech 9:9).

Compare this passage to John 12: 13-15:

^"13So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” ¹⁴ And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

¹⁵ “Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
    sitting on a donkey's colt!”

 (ESV)

I had notes in my bible regarding a question I had years ago. Connecting the resurrection of Lazarus to Palm Sunday.  And today as we studied the meaning of the word "psalm" a little light flickered on in my brain.  I got up enough nerve to approach the pastor on break.

My question to the pastor was regarding the resurrection of Lazarus which is depicted in John 11: 38-44. 

³⁸ Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ³⁹ “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

⁴³ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

 (NIV)

In John 12: 17-18:

 

^{17 "}Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. ¹⁸ Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him."
 (NIV)

Years ago, when I discovered this passage, it made the whole story come alive to me. The people who were present when they saw Jesus weep when he heard that his friend Lazarus had died, but then tells them to take away the stone.  and then in John 11: 42 Jesus says:

 ^" I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

These same people were present as Jesus came into Jerusalem, riding on the colt of a donkey.  People were spreading the garments on the ground and waving palms.  Welcoming him as a king.  Since the palms represent "victory over death in resurrection", why have I not heard the association with Lazarus?  The people were spreading the word of the miracles that Jesus performed. And quite recently having raised Lazarus from the dead. I know I have heard the parallels of palms represent victory over death in resurrection as foreshadowing the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, but I don't believe I have ever heard the connection between Lazarus and Palm Sunday.

I love Pastor Glenney. A very humble, man.  He was quite intrigued and told me that was something he hadn't quite explored. And he would include that in his study next year!

I just floated out of church.  

But my heart is heavy. Worried about my family member in crisis. I called him after church. He sounded tired, but he is alive.  

My heart is also heavy with the burdens of this world.  I saw on breaking news that two churches in Egypt had been bombed while they were having Palm Sunday services. Latest count is 40 people dead, over 100 injured. This breaks my heart. People innocently going to worship on what should be a glorious day, are murdered because of their faith.  ISIS is claiming responsibility.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/latest-death-toll-egypt-church-bombing-rises-21-090450387.html 

Of course people of all faiths, beliefs, and nationalities are murdered daily.  I pray for all those who suffer and lose loved ones.  My dark night of the soul last night was imagining how I would survive losing a loved one.

God help us all.

I have nothing more to say now.  But I do wish you, my dear reader a happy Sunday. Hold your loved ones close.  

I am focusing on both "Peace" and "Faithfulness" as my fruits of the spirit today. (From Galatians 5:22-23)

I will talk to you tomorrow.

Peace and Love,

Zita