It is hard to believe that in one week we will observe Palm Sunday. We wave branches in the air celebrating the arrival of Jesus into Jerusalem. We enter Holy Week, the most solemn time of the church year. We will remember the betrayal of Jesus, the arrest, and eventual crucifixion. And all of this to get to Easter.
The truth be told, I approach Holy Week with a little anxiety every year. We reflect on the darkest of times, only to end the week bathed in the light of God. I know that the light will come, but before it does, we must walk through the greatest depths of sorrow known. We catch a glimpse of hope extinguished, Jesus gone.
The truth is, our time in the wilderness is almost done. We must come back to reality, but before we do, we have to face the darkness. There is no way to get through to the light other than to journey through the absence of all illumination. We are alone, and the feeling of complete emptiness is overwhelming and frightening.
Today in the wilderness, I am frightened as I turn my way home. I don’t know what I am facing, but I do know that grace will lead me. This is the promise made by the Creator. Holy love protects us, even in the darkest of circumstances. We will make it through to the light of Easter.
Praise be to the One, who loves us and guides us home. Our strength and comfort are found in the reassurance that love surrounds us, love fashions us, and love gives us the strength to finish the race. And so, my hope is that we remember to live every moment bathed in the perpetual light of redemption and grace.
From a Pastor's Point of View 