A Rhythm of Gratitude

Once upon a time, back in my college days, someone suggested that maybe the days in Genesis 1 were symbolic, that maybe it didn’t have to literally refer to 24-hour periods.  I objected, which might well be a reasonable thing to do (I withhold judgment), but my reason was certainly bad:  I couldn’t see what the symbolism could possibly be in saying that, for example, sea and sky were created on the second day.  And that was just blindness.

Then, about a couple months back, just for fun, I started thinking of the days of the week, not just in terms of their names in our calendar, but in terms of what was made on each day.  Sunday is Lightday.  Monday is Seaday or Skyday or Waterday.  Tuesday is Landday or Plantsday or Treesday or Fruitday.  Wednesday is – wait for it – Sunday (I know!) or Moonday or Starsday.  Thursday is Fishday or Birdsday.  Friday is Animalday or, more often, Manday.  (Humanday or Peopleday is better, but Manday has more of a ring to it.)  Saturday is Restday.  Well, almost.  Since “evening and morning were the __th day,” Manday is really Thursday evening through Friday at sunset, for example.  Every time I think of the calendar name for a day of the week, I try to pause and think of this Genesis 1 name, too. 

I expected it to be a vaguely fun, interesting thing to do.  But I wasn’t really expecting the result.

I’m not sure I have ever in my life been more grateful for Creation.  It’s such a simple thing, but now every time I think the name of the day, I think of something God made.  And every week is a progression, first setting the stage, then bursting forth into life, and every Restday is a day for happy peaceful contemplation of the wonder of it all.  It’s a weekly rhythm of gratitude, and I love participating in it.

As an added bonus, I thought it was kind of awesome to suddenly realize that Christ was crucified and died (thus recreating mankind, if you listen to Athanasius) on Manday, lay in the grave on Restday, and arose very early in the morning, before the sun had risen, on Lightday.

Have a good week, and enjoy the wonder of Creation.  Landday/Plantsday has just begun, so think of mountains and forests and flowers and herbs and fruits and grains and vegetables, and be thankful.