Another posting installment from my pastor's Easter sermon.
He talked about "the second day" in relation to Christendom's holy season of Lent and Easter, where Christians observe day one as Good Friday, where Christ was crucified, day two where Christ died and day three - Easter - where Christ arose from the grave. His sermon came from the perspective of "Day Two", which he believes is always the toughest day after a life-event of some or great magnitude. His examples of "Day Two" were the day after the funeral, the day after a spouse or significant other walks out, the day after the divorce is final, the day after losing a job...... Even - going from the sublime to the ridiculous - The Royal Wedding can be an example of Day Two. Prince William and Princess Kate are in "Day Two", where, in the absence of pomp and circumstance, reality is a bit closer.
"Day Two" doesn't even have to be associated with grief and tragedy. It can be associated with any life-changing occurrence, such as getting engaged, having a baby, saying "yes" to a job offer, starting a new job.....any of these options can bring the thought of "what have I got myself into"?
Then my pastor asked a rhetorical question and a follow-up question, which I have not forgotten and have given some thought to: "Do you live your life as if you are stuck in Day Two"? and, "Have you moved on to Day Three?" It was the question about ever allowing myself to move on to Day Three that really made me sit up and salute. His "Day Three" perspective was about getting to a place where we celebrate life, where we allow ourselves to experience sheer joy and where we release ourselves from the bonds and fetters of being a slave to Day Two.
I don't think moving to Day Three is easy and I certainly do not believe that staying and living in Day Three is possible for the great majority of mankind. Are we humans pre-programmed to expect "gloom, despair and angony - all three" (yet another reference to the "Hee-Haw" television show) rather than being programmed to believe in our right to experience joy and happiness?
My humanity gets in my way. On a daily basis I can move from Day One to Day Two to Day Three, sometimes all in a matter of minutes.....forget the daily part. I do have antidotes, though, to help get me to Day Three and regular readers know what those antidotes are: The Three Musketeers, a dog, a good cup of coffee, and chocolate. I've had three out of four recently. Mother's Day is coming. I think Capt. SO should work on helping all four become a reality, don't you?
Ancora imparo
