Stories

This month, Christians around the world have marked Easter—first in the Western church, and then in the Orthodox tradition—proclaiming again the truth at the heart of our faith: Christ is risen. Yet between Good Friday and Easter Sunday lies Holy Saturday, the day of silence, waiting, and unresolved grief. It is the day when hope feels distant, when the promises of God seem hidden, and when the world holds its breath. For many of our brothers and sisters today, this is not simply a day in the liturgical calendar—it is the reality in which they are living.

Across the Middle East, and in other regions marked by conflict (Myanmar, Sudan, the DRC and many more), this Easter has not been able to be celebrated as 'usual'. Many Christians have marked the resurrection while displaced, fearful, and uncertain of what tomorrow holds. Church communities have gathered where they can, often under the shadow of violence or instability. The language of lament—so present in the Psalms and in the events of Holy Week—resonates deeply. Like the first disciples, many are living in that dark space between crucifixion and resurrection.

Holy Saturday reminds us that waiting is part of the Christian story. The disciples did not yet know how the story would end; they sat in confusion, grief, and doubt. Today, many believers know the promise of the resurrection, yet still do not know how their own stories will unfold. Ceasefires remain fragile, peace uncertain, and suffering ongoing. And yet, even in this suspended moment, we hold to the truth that God is not absent in the silence. The stillness of Holy Saturday is not emptiness, but a hidden work of God -- yet to be understood.

As a global Christian family, we stand with those living in this “Holy Saturday despair.” We pray for their endurance and courage, and for glimpses of hope in the darkness and hold fast to the promise that just as the first Easter morning came, so too hope remains alive today through the resurrection.

• Country

  • Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Israel
  • Lebanon
  • Palestinian Territory, Occupied
  • United States

• Continent

  • Middle East

• Issues

  • Discipleship