Susan Rohan
Faith is hard. Especially when hard things happen.
Often we feel empty when losses happen in our lives or when things do not go our way. The statue in the picture is one that I have seen on the internet and was sent to me after my son passed away. It is how I felt, like a shell of a person. Last week I was at the funeral for my aunt who died suddenly. There was certainly quite a bit of despair in my heart while I thought about how I would never hear her voice again and how I would never again be in the her presence. There have been and will be many times in my life where this will happen.
What would have been like for Jesus when he was walking to his death on the cross? I often imagine if I would have taken the mantle and followed through with God's calling to death like Jesus did. Do you ever imagine being in those sandals? Being whipped, beaten, mocked, and made to carry the heavy cross to the place where you will be nailed to it only to suffocate to death?
We follow a Christ who died for us, he carried our sin for us to the cross. He died so that we can live in faith and love in God's kingdom. My son, my aunt, and all those who have died before me are living new life with Jesus in that kingdom. The most beautiful part of belief is that when we are broken, God sees us. God mends us and knits us back together so that our loneliness is whole again at the foot of Christ crucified. It isn't the cross we believe in. It is Christ. God thankfully gave us Jesus, so that our faith has a bridge to fill in the empty spaces that we lack. And to that I say AMEN.
