Pastor Ken
When I was young, we often played a popular game called “Bible trivia” at church. A frequent question was: When the Bible says Jesus was resurrected on “the first day of the week,” which day was it?
Within the Chinese church community, some individuals would answer Monday. Chinese people use numbers (from 1 to 6) to represent each day of the week (Monday to Saturday). Then there is “Sunday.” But the four Gospels were written in the Jewish context, and Jesus’ resurrection was on the day after the Sabbath. It should be Sunday.
Besides Chinese, some other cultures in the world also use numbers to designate different days in the week. For example, the Jews, Arabs, Eastern European, and Central Asian countries all use one to six, plus another name for the seventh day, such as Day of Rest (Sabbath). It can become complicated because certain cultures count their first day from Sunday, while others count from Monday.
As for the countries under the influence of Greco-Roman culture, such as the United Kingdom, the United States, France, and Italy, they use planets—the sun, the moon, Venus, Jupiter, etc—to name the days of the week. This practice could be traced back to the Babylonians. According to Greek mythology, the planets are named after gods, and their days are associated with either the deity ruling that day or dedicated to worshipping them. Some countries, such as Japan or India, have adopted the Western culture with their own modification.
As for where each day begins, it is also an interesting question. Before the timepiece was invented, variances existed in how a day was counted. Some started the day at sunrise, while others from sunset. It remains a mystery how individuals perceived a day in regions characterized by extreme variations in daylight duration due to seasonal changes. Nowadays, most people consider a day to span from 12:00 a.m. (midnight) to 11:59 p.m. (midnight), encompassing a full 24-hour period.
Whether to name the day of the week with a number or a planet is part of the culture. However, it is more important to consider how we ourselves view each week. Some people have fixed working hours and divide the week into work and leisure. This often involves five days dedicated to work and two days set aside for weekend leisure. Or, four days of work and three days of leisure. As for the colloquial terms 996 (work from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., six days a week) or 007 (work from 0:00 midnight to 0:00 the next day, seven days a week), these are anomalies in big cities. Those poor souls desperately need rest.
A good start of a week should involve planning. With seven days ahead of us, we need to schedule time for our basic needs (sleep and eating), plus slots for activities to maintain physical, mental, and spiritual health. Whether we are working or retired, stay-home caregivers or self-employed, everyone needs to respect these hours as non-negotiable human rights. Then we can plan other things for the rest of the week. Adults may consider two types of meaningful activities. One is to seek opportunities for growth. The other is to contribute. The end of a week is for review and evaluation. While celebrating our accomplishments, we also make appropriate adjustments.
How we define a week must follow the general rules of the society in order to maintain a balanced life. In doing so, we will have a fulfilling life. As the Bible says, “Fear/Revere God, enjoy the fruits of your labor.”
