During the Holy Week, Chinese churches are holding activities to commemorate the passion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many pastors and preachers exhort the congregation to meditate on the passion of the Savior and cut back on entertainment.
A sister said to me that a young preacher of her church told the members that no entertainment is allowed during Passion Week. Even smiling is forbidden. Otherwise, it will be considered as unspiritual. Feeling embarrassed, she, who works as a hotel waitress, had no choice but to show a smile to customers even if it was not allowed throughout the week.
How should we view this issue?
Her problem reveals a conflict between faith and reality.
According to the church's tradition, Christians are required to live godly, spend less time on recreation and reflect on the difficulty of the Lord's salvation during Holy Week. But we live in a fast-paced society, different from the self-sufficient economic life in ancient times. Most people need to associate with all sorts of people and engage in various kinds of activities including parties for entertainment even in dates considered sacred for a certain religion. As a result, some believers have to ignore their religious disciplines for their work needs.
Is it unspiritual for Christians to take part in entertainment for their work?
The fundamental purpose of the meditation and piety in the Holy Week is to realize that salvation did not come easily and let our love for the Lord grow.
After the Reformation, the Reformers, who broke the binary opposition of the sacred and profane and gave meaning to ordinary work, put forward an idea that Christian could glorify the Lord through their jobs. John Calvin proposed that all kinds of work are of equal value in God's sight. As a result, Christians should do their best work for work is a calling and a means to honor God and edify people.
Let's return to the sister working in a hotel. It is unnecessary for her to struggle with the extreme teaching of that preacher. Instead, she should do her duty by providing customer service with a smile.
"One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God"(Romans 14:5-6) Some Christians believe that keeping godly and serious without entertainment is advisable during the Week, but they shouldn't judge those who involve in entertainment or show smile for their work.
Actually, the most important thing for Christians is to walk with the Lord every day, meditating on His love and grace and following biblical teachings in their work and life to become the salt and light of the world.
What is the significance of being devout if it is only this Week you put aside the Lord's teachings and choose to muddle along all day after the season?
Translated by Karen Luo
