Status Updates From Jesus: A Pilgrimage

“I am reminded of places in which I’ve overlooked the presence of God — in friendships, in my family, in my community, in nature, in prayer, in the world around me — and I’m filled with a sense of gratitude. This time, I was reminded not only that suffering is a part of everyone’s life, but also that I hadn’t been seeking God as attentively as I could’ve been. I wasn’t paying attention.” (p. 437)

“Not til Jesus speaks her name does Mary know him. She knew that distinctive voice with the Nazarene accent — the voice that called her into wholeness when it expelled whatever demons troubled her, that welcomed her into his circle of friends, that told her she was valued in the eyes of God — because it was a voice that had spoken to her in love. Because sometimes seeing is not believing. Loving is.” (p 406)

Jesus felt abandoned. This isn’t to say that he despaired. But it’s not unreasonable to imagine his feeling as if the Father were absent. Having faced the betrayal of his closest friends, brutalized by Roman guards, marched through the streets under a crushing weight, and nailed to a cross, Jesus could be forgiven for feeling abandoned. He who has abandoned himself to God’s will now wonders ‘Where are you?’