Holy Week

It’s Holy Week. As is my tradition, I just finished watching “Jesus Christ Superstar”. As always, it made me cry - hard. I don’t know what it is, the music which puts a new sensory level to the story, or the visuals of a real human being being betrayed and put to death - on a cross. Whatever it is, it makes an impact on me every year. I think that’s a good thing.

I don’t believe we should be immune to suffering. There is so much suffering in our world, I don’t believe we cannot be affected by it. I think we should see it, and feel it, and do what we can to change it.

We’ve seen a lot of suffering this past year. We’ve lived through isolation, loss of loved ones, the loss of security. We’ve lived through a year of not being able to break bread together, grieve the loss of our loved ones together, and not hold those we love the most. We’ve lived through riots, and shootings, and insurrections. It’s been hard, really hard. I imagine we’ve felt some of the same feelings that Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemene - loneliness, fear, loss of control, and the reality that our lives are fragile. But as Jesus struggled with his own humanity and reality, he also lived with utter confidence of his resurrection. Jesus knew, intimately, that love would triumph over fear and death. He knew love always triumphs.

When we fight for justice, when we strive to survive, when we choose to love in the most horrible times, we too can live in the certainty that love wins. Jesus, fully human, showed us suffering ends and love wins. It may not turn out like we think it should, but love does triumph.

We don’t get to choose what the suffering of the world is, but we do get to choose how to respond to it. Everyday we have the choice, as Gandhi said, “to be the change we want to see in the world”. Through prayer, kindness, compassion, and trust in God’s presence within us and everyone we meet, we can change things one person at a time. In choosing to be God’s breath and love and grace towards our brothers and sisters, we can help bring justice. In choosing truth over fiction, hope over despair, and God’s will over our own, we can bring peace.

This Holy Week, let us walk with Christ in his sufferings, let us walk with Christ in our sufferings, let us walk with one another as people who live with utter confidence of Christ’s resurrection. Let’s prove to the whole world that Love ALWAYS triumphs!

Rev. Joan