20th April 2022

“The gap between Friday and Sunday – between falling down and rising up; between the darkness and the dawn; between the cross and the empty tomb – can feel like forever. How can we endure it?”

These were the words of Nigel Harris, Tearfund’s CEO, in his reflection for last Saturday – Holy Saturday – the gap between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

It got me thinking that we live most of our lives in the “gap”.

Now we are in the gap between Easter and Jesus’ Ascension. Then there will be a gap between Ascension and Pentecost. Then we have “ordinary time”, the long gap in the church year until Advent begins again.

At Tyndale, we have now entered the gap between ministers. After Michael, before Sam.

How often do we measure time by the events in life? A loved one’s birthday. A holiday. A deadline. The event comes and goes and then… the gap until the next event begins.

The gap between tests and diagnosis. The gap between treatment and recovery.

Nigel Harris again: “How can we endure it? The same way that the disciples would have done: together. Let us pray that we can do this as a community of believers today.”

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Ian Waddington