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Between the times
A dividing attitude to life determines many a Sundays. On the one hand Sunday is part
of the weekend. One more day to fully relax! One the other hand a silent sorrow may rise
within me knowing that the wonderful weekend with all its freedom draws to an end. For
some the workday may already take over our thinking: “What will I do first on Monday?
Whom do I have to call? How will I meet with my colleagues?” Such and similar thoughts
about the coming week my start to circle my head.
Ending and beginning in one day. The Sunday is in-between: Sunday completes the weekend
just as God completed his creation. And at the same time the new week emanates from it!
The beginning of new producing. Both meanings can be found in the traditions of this day.
For Christians Sunday is the first day of the week. By the power of the resurrection
with Sunday starts something new as everything emerges first from the intellect. Just as
the creator comes before the creation, so the intellect and the awareness come before
any action. For the Jews, however, Sunday is the last day of the week, the day on which
God himself rests from all his works. In this manner Sunday stands in-between, indeed
beyond all times! And that is how it should be! Because as the day of eternity Sunday
is beginning and ending in one. Just as a closed circle has no beginning nor ending,
so is God’s eternity. Without beginning or ending the eternity is dormant movement.
For all that has a beginning and ending this is true: It starts with God; he is the source.
And it returns to God; because he is the aim and the completion of all things.
Sunday stands for the secret of creation in the midst of which we live. Christ himself
is the word that “rings in everything” as Joseph Eichendorf wrote in his poems. Christ
is invisibly hidden in each beginning and each ending. Therefore Sunday wants to call
into our conscious the awe for the becoming of reality. Such awe widens the heart and
liberates us to praise: “Christ, you word and spirit in all that is, you source of life,
solution to all enigmas.“