Vincent Kolb
When I meditate on the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, one truth haunts me and another truth gives me hope.
What haunts me about the suffering and death of Jesus Christ is that he was killed in the name of justice and faith, by people who believed they were doing the right thing. Furthermore, these law-abiding, God-fearing people did away with him in the interests of keeping the peace. It makes me wonder: where are we hanging him on a cross again in our day and time because we do not want to confront an unpleasant truth? Where in our society and world is our justice blind?
The truth of the resurrection, however, gives me this hope. God’s triumph in the empty tomb is the sign that the promise keeper is faithful; everything in the end will be all right. Nothing that we encounter in this world can harm us permanently. No suffering is irrevocable. No loss is permanent. No defeat is anything more than just a passing phenomenon. No disappointment is a final verdict about our worth. Jesus never denied the reality of suffering, discouragement, disappointment, frustration, and death; he simply stated that the Kingdom of God would conquer all of these horrors. This reality gives me hope.
As we begin the Lenten journey to Calvary and beyond, may we not forget what haunts us, and what gives us hope.
Grace and Peace!
Vince
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